Thorns
by Marrabelle
Summary: A temporary placement with the Cullen family proves to be Rosalie Hale's worst nightmare. They're too good to be true & she only LOOKS like an angel! Will this be a match made in Heaven or the summer from Hell? AH/AU CxEs & kids *Rated T/M:Abuse
1. Chapter 1 Hell Bus

_RandomSugarRush: Thank you for tackling my mess of typos and grammatical errors! Thank you for your support and loyalty and for laughing at my silly mistakes! :D You are a great writer and a great friend!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters Stephanie Meyer has created. I am just a girl writing a fan fiction story._

_Warning: This story contains a bit of course language and it might offend readers sensitive to abuse, neglect, rape, or topics of sexual nature. NO lemons...but some eluding moments (limes) in later chapters._

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_***AN-** So, I am going to come right out and say it once at the start: I respond to my reviews and answer any questions the best that I can, so don't be shy. :) Each response includes a preview for the upcoming chapter unless you tell me 'no preview please'. I know some of you may be shy...but I don't bite. Hehe. This is an AH story anyway so I couldn't bite you if I wanted to. ;)  
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_**Key points**: This is a AH/AU story. It is categorized as angst/hurt/comfort. It is rated T, but it may be changed to M at some point. The main character is Rosalie, and yes, canon pairings do apply in a small sense, but this is also a Cullen family story just as much as it is about Rosalie's struggle. The characters are human (AH) and therefore their ages vary. Carlisle and Esme are both 33. Emmett is 16, Edward is 15, Rosalie and Bella are 14 (almost 15), Jasper is 11, and Alice is 9! The POV will change from chapter to chapter- mostly, Rosalie, Esme, and Carlisle. _

_I am telling you all this at the beginning so there is no confusion._

_I hope you enjoy the story._

_Happy reading. :)__  
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**Thorns**

**Chapter One**

Saturday, June 25th, 2009

Mrs Newly was walking swiftly ahead of me. She had tried to tug on my arm to make me walk faster, but I was not someone who was easily led. For spite, I was dragging my feet.

"Pick up the pace, Rosalie. I will not ask you again. You have been nothing but trouble this morning and I will not stand for it!" she ranted. I wondered why she even bothered to scold me. This trip we were on — walking from her hybrid Lexus towards the bus station on Eighth Ave in downtown Manhattan — was one to end our relationship, thus as it was. She was handing me back over to my caseworker for the summer.

Rebecca hated me from the first day we met. It was one month ago exactly. I was only trying to be pleasant to her husband, but when Stan Newly took liking a to me I knew that I would not be staying with them for very long. That was always the case.

They said they could not tolerate my blatant disregard for their household rules and that they wished me the best of luck in finding a family — _how did they say it? Oh, ya_… — "better suited to care for someone with my unique upbringing." _Ya, ya. Up yours too!_ I was not the most discrete girl, I knew that, but it was not as if I purposely caused Mr Newly to favor my attention at the dinner table. He liked me. _How was I to be blamed for that?_ He must have felt guilty because last weekend he dropped me off at Manhattan Mall for a few hours with his credit card telling me to "Go nuts and by yourself a new summer wardrobe!" That was a nice surprise until I found out what they were for!

"Impossible! You are an impossible, ungrateful, stubborn girl!" Rebecca hacked back at me as she clip-clopped her way down the long, cement pavement towards the Greyhounds Station. I was walking sluggishly, but not for lack of joy to be rid of her. I just found it rewarding to see the blue vein jutting from her forehead when she was enraged.

"Oh, good. There you are!" My caseworker, Mrs Clara Butterfield, greeted us. I suppose Rebecca was right, we were running late. I smiled to myself, knowing the reason we had almost missed my ride.

"The bus is loaded and ready to get going. Where are your things, Rosalie?" My caseworker asked as she waved us over to one of the large, silver buses. I didn't answer — seeing no point in wasting my breath — and I raised the two black duffle bags I carried all my personal belongings in. I may not have a lot to call my own, but my clothes — collected from numerous 'starting over' and 'guilt' shopping trips with foster parents — were in good shape. I knew how to dress, as I knew how to present myself so I looked my best.

"Well, I guess this is it. Have a safe trip, Rosalie. Best of luck to you in your future endeavors," Rebecca forcefully chocked out the words. I smiled and nodded insincerely and then I turned my head from hers for the last time. I was stubborn. I could stand there not looking at her for as long as it took for one of us to walk away.

"All right, go get your seat then, dear. I will come talk to you in a moment before the bus takes off," Mrs Butterfield instructed, tapping my arm underneath my elbow. I gladly did as I was told this time. It was a relief to be rid of the Newlys, though it meant another family was about to try their way with me. I didn't want a new family, but it was better than living with my mother. The state would not set me free so I had no choice, besides going back home, than to live with strangers.

I passed my luggage to the driver so he could load it underneath the bus. He winked at me — _pervert _— and I climbed into the vehicle and scoped out the seating options. I was the last to board, so it looked like the front few rows was all that was left vacant. I quickly slipping into the third row on the right and took a seat by the window. Outside, I could see Mrs Butterfield making peace with Rebecca. You know, killing the bitch with kindness? I had learned that from her. Rebecca was red faced and waving her hands around, occasionally letting one of them point in my general direction. I couldn't hear her through the thick windows of the bus, but I watched Clara speak to her calmly before I had enough and turned away and focused on the seat ahead of me.

I don't like buses. They are crowded and the seats are made of rough, hideously patterned material that reeks of previous passengers. Who knows what these people were like; what scum they had left behind on the seat? They could have been a drug addict, a dealer, a liar, a thief, or a hooker — smearing their scent of disgrace all over the tired fabric that has seen too much abuse as it was. I know about these people. They were all I knew for the first eleven years of my life.

I am done with that life now, done with the mother who had destroyed lives. Mine included. Nothing had ever been good enough for her. No man was ever worthy of her love… and no child was either.

I don't know my father.

Lillian, Lily as I was to address her when she was working, was my mother. She told me — once, strung out on who knows what — that I was conceived because her fees were doubled if protection was waived. She needed to pay rent that month, I guess. I didn't know what this meant at the time. At fourteen, almost fifteen, I am wiser. It meant she gambled… and lost. I was unwanted. I knew that now more than I knew back then. I used to think Lily and I were a team.

She put me to good use. She was a businesswoman, after all. She could make money without overhead costs, without it costing her one-penny in income tax, and without losing her sense of pride. She would brag like she was doing us both a favor when she would bring strange men home every night. Lily told me that their love made her feel worthwhile. Their terms of affection for her somehow proved she was important in this world. Somehow, she felt validated when they paid her for sex.

I had thought I was worthy too. Lily had told me I was a special girl. She was proud of my beauty. "Your good looks are a useful tool, Rosebud. Never forget that," Lily would tell me. She taught me how to use my beauty to get what I wanted and settle for nothing less. That was maybe one of the best gifts she could have given me. It taught me to be assertive and _always_ be the one in charge.

"That way you will never be a disgrace," she would often say. "Now, be a good girl. Make your momma proud and keep him busy for a few minutes while I freshen up." And I would do as my mother told me to do, because I was her business partner and I wanted to be a _good girl_.

The business was booming up until the end. We never went hungry — "Only the best for The Hale Girls," — and we had the finest clothes and accessories as well. Lily said that it was maintenance. "Cleanliness and presentation is the key to success, Rosebud. Even though you might feel like trash on the inside sometimes, you can never show that to our clients. You're the boss of your body. Remember that! They will respect you more if you respect yourself."

Lily and I were never poor in appearance. From the outside looking in, we appeared to have it all. We were pretty and well off. That is why she could charge so much for our services. She would never call herself a whore — and I dared not call her that to her face — but that is what she was. A first class whore!

Every time we brought in the big bucks from some well-to-do married man, she would wrap her arms around me and tell me how proud she was of me. She sometimes would say, "I love you," when we had a bountiful evening. She'd squeeze me tight and then bounce up and down waving a wad of bills in the air like we had won the lottery or something. "We've got it made!" It was hard not to pick up on her enthusiasm and believe that we were a family during times like that.

But love is conditional. I found out the hard way. If mother gets a rich boyfriend who wants her to quit the business and marry him, she can change the rules.

"Don't ruin this for us. He loves me!" she had insisted. "He says he wants to marry me! We will never have to deal with any other men… ever again!" But I knew what this man was like. He was rough with her — rough with me, too — and was not a kind man at all. When I tried to tell her how he touched me, she didn't believe that he would disrespect me that way. She said I was jealous that she had found 'love'.

Threatening to turn your mother in for solicitation didn't work. "They will take you too. You're just a miniature version of me, Rosebud!" she had told me on that last night living with her.

Now, I am just a pretty girl on a bus.

Usually, if I have to ride by this mode of transportation, I sit a few rows back from the front rows. Reason being, that if you sit right up front, you end up having to smile at the bus driver every time he turns around and the draft from the door is always present. Also, elderly people seem to sit closer to the front of the bus for numerous reasons and they are generally too chatty or too grumpy for my liking. Sometimes they are too touchy—which is the worst! I can't stand being some old geezer's bus buddy. The ones I usually end up next to have trouble keeping to their own seat.

However, if there were no seats in the middle for the taking, I would rather sit up front then in the rear. The rear is where the bathroom is. That stench was definitely worse than old person smell. I would take the smell of menthol and licorice any day! I could put up with a little bit of admiration from an older passenger if it meant steering clear of the riffraff that sat at the back of the bus.

My mother used to insist on sitting at the back of the bus. "More private," she would elude to me, winking. Then she would turn me around and tell me to mind my own business while she tipped her gentleman companion, in hopes he would tip her in return.

Today's journey was not of the pleasant nature either, but not very often, is an unscheduled, four-hour bus trip! At least I was traveling sans Lily this time. I was done with that lifestyle. She had given up on me about the same time I had given up on her. The innocence of childhood had to wear off at some point. Good thing for me, I got out from under her roof before I go sucked in any deeper. I could still hold my head up high. Well, I could hold it up reasonably high, in any case; I would not say I was completely naïve. I had done a lot of things I was not proud of. I am sure I will do a lot more things in my life that I will not be proud of, but that is life. I will take care of myself, by any means necessary.

Lawfully, however, I was a ward of the State of New York. My caseworker was in charge of where I ended up, so today I didn't have a clue where I was going or who was going to meet me when I arrived at my next destination. I was following orders today. I had no choice — unless I planned on running away again, but that only seemed to land me a position in holding cells, shelters, or detention centers for troubled youths — so I did what I was told… for today.

"Here is your travel documentation," Mrs Butterfield told me as she hung a God-awful tag around my neck, like I was some sort of pet in transfer. I felt my lips curl up a touch and my nostrils flared in annoyance. Clara just shot me a reproachful stare and continued. "You are not to leave with Dr and Mrs Cullen until they have signed for your arrival. Phil, the bus driver, has the paperwork. He will be keeping his eye on you, so be on your best behavior. It is only about a four-hour drive from here to the Ithaca station where they will be picking you up. From there, you will be journeying with them to their cabin out on Blue Mountain Lake."

I was silent as I watched her with perfect stillness. What was I to say? Thank you for sending me to some secluded, woodland cabin to live with a group of do-gooders for two months? No! I was not going to thank her for this 'gig'. Sure, it was better than living in some decrepit shelter — _gross _— and it was certainly better than spending a night locked in a cell in some prison. Hell, it was probably better than any of the other homes I had invaded in the last several years. Foster parents are not like the ones you see in the movies. They are not forgiving and their love is always conditional!

"Esme is a kind woman," Clara continued. "I have had the pleasure of meeting her on several occasions at the school where she works. When I mentioned your situation to her, she and her husband were kind enough to offer you this once in a lifetime opportunity. I don't mean to sound harsh or cruel, Rosalie, but you need to smarten up and get your act together. It is not easy to find a new home for you every few months. Rebecca has some pretty nasty things to say for your behavior -"

"She is a jealous witch! I never did anything wrong. Stan was the one who couldn't keep his eyes off me!" I hissed at her so the other passengers could not overhear. Clara was still staring at me with wide eyes, waiting to speak again. She was so cool about everything. Like she didn't have feelings.

"Regardless of who did what, the fact is I have several reports from foster parents saying you are haughty, rude, and on occasion overtly sexual in your dress and demeanor. We have talked about this, Rosalie. That type of attitude is not appropriate for a girl your age. For a girl of any age!"

"So… okay, you want me to behave. I get it. I will _behave_!" I answered back.

"Yes, you will, because I am warning you, Rosalie. It is getting harder and harder to find quality homes that will take you. That may sound harsh, but it is a fact! I want you to think long and hard about this while you are away with the Cullens, because when you return to New York in the fall you may not be getting too many more chances with such well to do families. I will hopefully find you a more permanent placement, a really perfect match, but you need to do some of the work too. You are running out of options, my dear."

I hadn't noticed until she paused for a moment that I was clawing the seat beneath me with my fingernails and gritting my teeth so hard they began to hurt. The truth hurt sometimes. I was used to dishing it out, but hearing someone talk so plainly — and not pussyfooting around the issues at hand — was a slap in the face.

"Now," she breathed heavily, changing the topic. I relaxed a bit and folded my arms across my chest. "As I was saying, Esme is a school teacher, morning kindergarten, and Carlisle is a physician at Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca. Carlisle takes time off from work so the whole family can get away from the city and spend time together. They have children of their own, all around your age, so you should have plenty of companionship this summer. I saw pictures of their cabin, Rosalie. You are in for a real fun time out there by the lake. It is just beautiful!"

Clara seemed happy. Too happy, like she had done me a huge favor this time. I'll believe it when I see it! Being out in the woods by a lake with the bugs and the dirt didn't seem like a favor to me, but perhaps I really am just an ungrateful girl, like Rebecca Newly said.

"Sure," I mumbled, tugging my ivy cap lower on my head to signal that our chat needed to end. She was finished talking anyway, I could tell. There was little she could say that would make this any easier. Meeting strangers and going on a road trip with them to their woodland cabin for the summer was not something anyone could prepare for.

"I will be going, then. You must keep this ticket around your neck until the Cullens pick you up in Ithaca. Promise me you will be cooperative?"

"Fine."

"And _polite_," she stressed.

"Yes," I hissed. I didn't like to be patronized.

She got up from the seat next to me and said pleasantly, but with a stern tone, "Have a wonderful summer, dear. I will see you at the end of August. The Cullens have my phone number so if you need to reach me, I am available anytime."

I nodded routinely. She told me that every time she left me in a new home. I had never wished to call her. I suppose it was a nice enough gesture though. She continued to stand there and stare at me, but we were done with business now.

I began to rummage through my shoulder bag for my cheap mp3 player. It was charged this time, but more often than not, I put the ear buds in my ears just for show so that I could ignore people freely and not _seem_ rude. It was one of my favorite possessions because of this usage. The one good thing I remember about living with my very first foster family, the Sharps, had been the day they gave it to me. It only held about sixty songs and they had never been changed since the day they were loaded into the little trinket. I had lost the USB cord for it anyhow — not that it mattered since I didn't own a computer. Still, those few songs were better than no music at all. I used to love to sing, but I had not sung out loud in years. It made me sick to hear my voice singing like it once used to.

I took out my only book, _Little Women_, which I had read probably about one hundred times. I always bitterly compared myself to young Amy, who was conceited — rightfully so — but I desperately wished I could be more like Jo or Beth. They seemed happier somehow. Even plain Jane Meg with her normal husband and kids would be better than being Amy. Amy was never satisfied, no matter what good fortune came her way or how beautiful she was.

I was not intending to read the book again, but if I held it open it might keep people from talking to me — just another precaution. I didn't want to _appear_ rude or haughty, after all.

Clara tapped the brim of my hat and smiled lightly at me before she turned and walked the few feet up to the front of the bus, quickly saying something in passing to the bus driver. He nodded and looked like he had done the 'child transfer' before. As she got off the bus, Phil shut the door behind her, and sat down deep into the driver's seat. I heard the engine roar to life as I watched Clara walking to her parked car, glancing back at the bus a few times, looking worried.

Clara didn't like to ship me by bus, but sometimes it had to happen because she didn't always have a half-day to spend with me as my taxi driver. I was not selfish enough to expect to be the only kid she was responsible for. I was selfish enough to want that sort of treatment, but not stupid enough to demand it or to ever suggest I was more important than the other homeless kids my age. That would be unreasonable.

Now it was the Cullens who were responsible for me – for the summer anyway. The way Clara talked about the Cullens, she made them sound both wealthy and wholesome at the same time, though I am sure this cannot be the case. Wealthy couples and wholesome couples had both taken their turns fostering me at one time or another, but my stays usually only lasted a few months — five being my record. The only similarities these families shared, was that neither seemed to find my charms 'expectable' and then soon enough, Clara would appear like some sort of dark fairy and whisk me away to the next eager family.

Clara Butterfield had been my assigned social worker since the day I ran away from my mother, so I knew how she worked. She was compassionate, but she kept a professional distance. She never beat around the bush; gave it to me straight like a no bullshit kind of woman. I had to respect that. The police who found me that day had me put me in a small holding room for hours until Clara came to talk to me. They had not been very nice and I was seething mad. I took it out on Clara, but she never ruffled. I had hated her then, but I had come to the conclusion she was the lesser of two evils. It was she or some other righteous social worker. Clara was clean and she was honest.

I like clean. I like honest — though I was hardly the poster child for this trait. Lily was clean — most times, but she had lied to me for my whole life. How was I to know that our business was illegal? I was just a kid back then. It was around the time of my eleventh birthday when I began to see how untrustworthy my mother was.

I never liked to remember that incident, but as I watched the city streets flip by me though the darkened window, I couldn't help but think of how my life had gotten so screwed up.

To Be Continued…

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_**Thank you for reading.**_

_If you don't know me already...I like to draw out characters as I see them and sometimes I draw chapter scenes. So, check out my profile for links to my deviantart gallery if you are interested.  
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_If you didn't read the AN above...chapter previews are available via review response.  
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_Credit where credit is due: A special thanks to The Sound and the Fury for being my inspiration to write a AH fic (it is my first for Twilight).  
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	2. Chapter 2 Meet the Cullens

_Shout out to RandomSugarRush, one of my lovely beta readers. Go check out her AH story, Follow the Sun Through a Thunderstorm._

_Shout out to my loyal reviewers: I hope you got your teasers like I promised. I did send them out so if you didn't get them it is the site's fault! Also...to Lulu who I can't respond to- Thank you for the constant support on my stories. I do appreciate it even though I can't send you a review response. :)  
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_Disclaimer:I don't own any of the characters Stephanie Meyer has created. I am just a girl writing a fan fiction story._

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**Thorns**

**Chapter Two**

The loud brakes and sudden stop made me jerk from my blind gaze through the tinted window of the bus. I was disgruntled to find I had been squeezing my paperback so tightly I had bent it like a worn out deck of cards. It never helped to relive my past with mother. The memories were all I had now — there at the back of my mind to remind me of how close I had been to becoming just like her.

I would rather die than be like Lily.

A shuffle of people swarmed passed through the isle, eager to get out at their destination of choice. I waited. I saw no point in rushing out there. I would let the crowd die down a little bit and take a moment from the security of behind the darkened glass to scope out a family with kids who looked too good to be real. That is how I envisioned the Cullens. No family was ever as perfect as Clara made them out to be. They usually only appear perfect on the first day.

But I couldn't spot any obvious do-gooders on the sidewalk. Most people were getting into cars with the person who came to pick them up. Some were walking away to catch another bus or a taxicab. I saw no lingering people looking for me.

"Hey, beautiful, are you planning on staying with me all day or do you want to get off the bus?" the bus driver's voice jarred me from my search. It was only he and I on the bus now. I nodded and stood up. He moved aside and with a hand he reached to help me to the front, but I didn't allow for contact to be made.

The sidewalk was more than a foot away from the last step so I had to jump a bit to make it to the cement. Thank goodness I was naturally graceful and I wore a lot of flip-flops in the summertime. It was not a problem for me, but there were a few people in the vicinity that had stepped toward me to offer their hand as well. I pretended not to notice, but one fellow looked disappointed he didn't get the chance to help me.

"Well…do you see them?" Phil asked, pulling my black bags from the storage compartments under the bus and placing them next to me. There was no one around. Perhaps they had changed their mind. That would be a new record for me…not even one day!

"I don't know what they look like. How can I possibly-,"

"Rosalie?" a charming voice called out as I was speaking. It sounded a bit winded. I turned around as a man was coming up the sidewalk at a jog. "I apologize for being a touch late. Were you waiting long?"

"Just got off the bus. You're not late at all," Phil told the tall, blonde man.

"Oh, good. My daughter was so worried you would think we weren't coming. She is the reason we are running a bit behind this morning. She made you something and it was not dry when it was time to leave the house," he told me sounding apologetic. I had no idea what he was talking about so I just waited. Then he smiled, realizing he had not yet introduced himself. "I'm Carlisle. It is so nice to meet you, Rosalie." He reached out to shake my hand, which I thought was very polite. It was not forced, either. Carlisle was just offering the gesture to me with no strings. I suppose he deserved some sort of greeting in return so I took his hand.

"I just need you to sign here, please, Sir," Phil said, holding out a pen. "And I need that pretty necklace you've got there, princess." _What a prick!_ I tore the identification tag off my neck and shoved it at Phil hastily, ready to be done with this whole transaction. Carlisle smiled kindly at me and let go of my hand to take the pen extended to him. He signed some papers on a clipboard and Phil nodded and left us saying, "She's all yours, Sir." _Ugh…how tactless!_ I felt like some sort of used vehicle that had been passed down to its new owner.

"The truck is parked across the street, sweetheart," Carlisle told me, picking up my bags for me. "Do you mind if I carry your bags for you?"

So far he seemed to be a real gentlemen, though the term sweetheart was a bit of a red flag for me. He was not as brazen as some others I have met in the past, however. I was sure that under his golden hair and soft, blue eyes — which didn't wander up and down my body like most men's did when they first met me — he was just like any other man, but I would have to wait and see about that. Carlisle actually appeared a bit nerdy in his crisp, white shirt and his beige pants, but he was as handsome a man as any on television or movies these days. I was sure he was a rat deep down… just like the others.

"No. Thank you," I replied, appreciating that I could walk freely without my heavy luggage in hand. He smiled and led the way and I kept up with him as we walked across the crosswalk to the parking lot on the other side of the street. There were only two cars in the small lot. An empty red Volkswagen and a fully loaded Chevrolet Suburban, that must be an eight or nine seater, were present. It was bouncing up and down a bit from the movement going on inside.

Some things never get easier no matter how many times you have been through the motions. Mrs. Cullen got out of the car and said something back at her kids. I wondered how many there were in there. Carlisle had mentioned a daughter already. That would be alright. It was teenage boys I wanted to avoid. I had trouble behaving 'appropriately' around boys my age — boys of any age, really — I was told. I thought I was just being friendly… it was the boys who had trouble keeping their hands to themselves every time.

Of course, it was just my luck; three boys around my age filed out from inside the Suburban and stood outside on the black top. Mrs. Cullen was already half way to me as we made our way over to the family. She had her arms out in front of her and I nearly cringed knowing what was coming.

A hug.

"Oh, Rosalie, you are just as Clara described you — you're absolutely stunning! It is so nice to meet you, honey. I'm Esme!"

"Uh, hi. It is nice to meet you too, Mrs. Cullen," I said stiffly, as my body was trapped inside her caged arms. I never understood the point of hugs. I suppose if you like someone and they too want to share an embrace, it makes sense, but I didn't know her. This amount of touching seemed pointless for the occasion.

"Oh no, dear. Esme is fine!"

She released me and took my hand. It was too soon to know how I felt about her, so I let her pull me forward to the line up of kids outside the vehicle. There were five of them now. Two girls had joined the boys. The littlest one came running at me with a folded piece of construction paper in one hand and wrapped herself around my waist, her face only about as high as my bellybutton.

"Alice!" the older girl scolded in a gentle voice. Her bland tone matched her plain appearance, though she was not unattractive. Her skin was as fair as mine, only with a few soft freckles — hardly visible and would probably disappear if she stayed out of the sun — and her hair was a deep, warm brown that hung heavily over her shoulders. Her eyes were a deep brown color too, which I noted when she looked up to give me a small smile.

"Hi-ah, Rosie!" the little, black haired child stuck to me exclaimed. I looked down at her beaming face and realized she was not as young as I thought. She appeared to be the size of a seven year old — if that — but her face was more mature, like a nine or ten year old.

"My name is pronounced, Rose_-a_-lie!" I corrected her clearly, making sure to speak slowly so she caught the emphasis. I hated for my name to be made into a cutesy nickname. Rose was fine if it must be shortened, but I drew a line at Rosie!

"I'm Alice!" she told me, not at all put off by my shun on the nickname. I assumed it was unintentional in the first place, but I didn't know this kid. She needed to back off! "Ooo… I like your shorts!"

"Oh. I… uh… thank you," I mumbled, wishing she would let me go. She was poking at my jean shorts now — which was probably not the best thing to draw attention to since a few people had mentioned to me already that they were too short and too revealing for a girl my age.

_They cover my ass! That is the point. Get off my back, people! _

The little leech only let go of me with one hand to give me her paper. She practically cut me with it because she was so damn exuberant. I took the paper between my thumb and pointer finger and just held it for a few seconds. "I made you a card! Be careful…the glue is still damp!" She informed me. I glanced at the craft for a brief moment to be polite and then forced a smile down at her.

"We are going to be best friends!" She told me with what sounded like complete sincerity.

"Oh?" I spoke inquisitively, sounding surprised. "That's… nice...I guess."

I was a bit unsure how to respond to her assertiveness without coming off rude or haughty — as I was sometimes labeled. She was still clinging to me. My arms were not hugging her back and they were not hanging casually by my sides… they were tensed and arched a bit not touching anything but air as if I got stuck mid motion. I was so tensed up my muscles in my back were slightly twitching. It was irritating. Alice didn't seem to notice my hesitation as she grinned wildly up at me. Her eyes were brown — like her sister's — and were huge compared to the daintiness of her other features. She looked like one of those creepy, large headed 'Bratz' dolls and her hair was cropped to her jaw and sticking out in all over the place like she had no idea what a brush or styling tool was for.

"Okay, Alice, enough now. You need to learn when to release," Carlisle said, pulling his daughter off me playfully. He tickled her before he let her go and then ruffled her hair up as she skipped back to her sister. He then held up my bags to inquire about something. "Do you need anything from your luggage or shall I put it in the trunk with the rest of the gear?"

"That's fine," I told him, turning slightly to show my shoulder bag that had the things I liked to keep on me at all times. "Thank you," I added as I slipped the hand made card into my bag so I didn't have to hold on to it any longer. He smiled again — he never seemed to stop smiling, even his eyes were grinning in the corners — and went to do as he said.

"Did you have a nice trip through the city, honey?" Esme asked me.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Oh, call me Esme, darling. I am only twenty-nine, after all," she giggled, which made her dimples appear. She draped her arm around me and walked me a bit closer to the others so she could introduce me.

"You wish, Ma!" the tallest, and biggest boy joked. His brown eyes locked on mine and he stopped smiling and just gazed at me for a while. Perhaps I intimidated him — I tend to do that to people.

His hair was black like the little girl's hair, but it was a thick mass of curls on his head. He may have needed a haircut, due to the fact that some were loosely hanging on his forehead, but around his ears it was trimmed shorter, so I he must like to show off his curls. Not many guys were man enough to pull off those cherub-like ringlets. And with dimples that were present when he wasn't laughing — sigh — he looked just like Henry.

I didn't like to think about Henry. Memories of him made my heart ache and my throat close up.

"Ok, fine. I am thirty-three, but I think I could pass for my late twenties. Don't you think so, Rosalie?" Esme questioned me, startling me from my wistful memories.

"Yes, Ma'am," I quickly responded. Oh Shit! My eyes narrowed and I barred my teeth in a cringe. She had just told me how to address her and I had messed up already. _Oh, well_, I almost shrugged. I was bound to tick these people off sooner or later. It was only a matter of time before my temper reared up again.

"You are so polite. I like that," she told me with a smile that brushed my error off and she squeezed me into her with the one armed hug she had me held hostage in. Polite? Ha! Sure, right now I was polite, but sooner or later my unladylike use of language would most likely get the better of me. When angered or threatened, I knew some pretty foul words that would surely detour these polite folk away. It was only a matter of time before they met Rosalie Lillian Hale.

"Well, we are loaded and ready to get on the road again!" Carlisle announced joining the group. "Has everyone introduced themselves to Rosalie?"

"I did!" Alice screeched. This kid was really going to bug me — I could tell. She bounced up and down on the balls of her feet and pulled at a blonde boy's jacket excitedly, not taking her eyes off me for one second. I don't think she even took a moment to blink.

"Not everyone is as outgoing as our little Alice," Carlisle explained with a smile. "Rosalie, I would like you to meet my other daughter, Bella. You two are the same age. Isn't that a treat?"

"Sure is," I replied as sincerely as I could muster and I smiled back. Bella smiled too, her cheeks turned pink in an instant. What was so embarrassing about meeting me? _What a loser!_

"Next to her is Jasper…"

"Hi," the blonde boy said with a still wave. His hair was long in the front and shaggy. A mother's nightmare no doubt — probably refused to cut it — and it covered one of his eyes so a bit of blue was visible from behind his hair. He was one of those silent, thoughtful boys I decided, but the kind that had a darker side to him — like he might snap if you pushed him too far. I could have some _fun _messing with him! Jasper was younger then me, but none-the-less… he was a boy. The look he was giving me was one of interest, for sure. He was staring at me like he was trying to feel me out.

"And Emmett is our son _and_ our bodyguard," Carlisle teased the large teenager, who was roughly the same size as his father — a grown man — but even more muscular, though he must have been at most seventeen or eighteen. He was huge! His face was sweet, though. He had a gentle smile, which made him appear softer than his brute size suggested. Guys did not usually intimidate me, but I felt strangely vulnerable being close to him.

I glanced to Emmett to find he was staring at me now. It was the teenage-boy-looking-at-a-hot-girl stare and he had fallen hard it looked like. He didn't seem to have heard his father introduce him.

"Emmett!" Jasper elbowed him in the waist as he whispered hoarsely at his brother.

"Hi-lo," Emmett perked up and said. He shook his head and slapped his hand over his face. "I mean…hi. I meant to say hi, but then I started to say hello too and it came out hi-lo." The boy was rambling now. It was kind of sweet, actually. He shied back as his siblings stifled their giggles. I smiled at him — a genuine smile.

A boy I could not get a good look at, because he was choking on his own laughter, stepped forward as Carlisle introduced him. "This is Edward," he said.

When the boy stopped laughing and stood up straight he revealed to be quite attractive for a redhead, though his hair was more an auburn or bronzed brown color than a true redhead. He actually looked a bit like Esme. His eyes were a very similar piercing green and her caramel colored hair could be considered a strawberry blonde in the sunlight.

I wondered if all these kids were theirs biologically. Edward and Jasper's coloring was on the fair side, like Carlisle and Esme's, but they didn't actually seem to have the same facial features. All of the Cullens were attractive in their own way, though. But the other three — with dark hair and eyes — showed no resemblance to Mr. and Mrs. Cullen at all.

"Nice to meet you," Edward said politely, extending his hand to me. Like father like son, I guess. I took it to be polite, but something about his perfect, pretty boy looks and his confident, collected attitude made me take a disliking to him. He didn't seem to notice me at all, in fact. His eyes met mine, but he didn't look at the rest of me and smile approvingly like I was used to. His reaction was nothing like the bigger boy's had been. Even Jasper was interested in me somewhat – studying me carefully for one reason or another — so I knew I looked decent. Hell, I had made Bella blush without saying one word to her directly. I was hot! Boys his age usually noticed. I let go of his hand and he stepped back.

"That's all of them!" Carlisle told me with a proud, papa bear stride over to his son and he patted Emmett's back. That boy was still gawking at me. I almost laughed at the innocence he had. I didn't feel objectified by him for some reason. His focus was not as harsh or piercing as some that I had received in the past.

"We'd better get on the road if we want to make it to the cabin before dark," Esme said. I was immediately torn from my previous thoughts. I realized I was actually going with them out into the boonies for the summer. It was really going to happen — come Hell or high water — and there was no way out of it!

I watched as everyone loaded himself or herself back into the Suburban and then I took a subtle breath and followed. There was only one seat to choose from since Jasper, Bella and Edward had the very back filled and Emmett and Alice were waiting for me to join them on the other bench seat. Emmett took up a seat and a bit with his size, so Alice sat in between us, her legs continuing to jump around like they had a mind of their own.

"Hey, daddy?" Alice asked cheerfully, leaning forward to talk to Carlisle who was just pulling out of the parking lot on a main street. I buckled my belt as the car began to merge into a lane between two cars. Carlisle took a moment to look in the rear view mirror at his daughter as he responded.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Can we have a campfire tonight when we get there?"

"I don't see why not. Does that sound like fun, you guys?" Carlisle responded and asked for the consensus from all his children. There was a chorus of everyone around me agreeing. I was not sure if I was being addressed or not… so I didn't answer. It didn't seem to dull the good cheer. He glanced at me briefly, with a smile so big I thought it was best to nod and smile back. "It is settled, then. Bonfire tonight!"

Carlisle was like Mr. Rogers, but way hotter, I decided. He looked younger than any doctor I had seen in real life — he looked like he should be McHottie on _Grey's Anatomy _actually. I probably should not think of him that way, though. I eyed Esme carefully. Had she noticed? No, she was still smiling. It would take her a few days — or maybe a few weeks — until she began to hate me like the others had.

"Mommy?" Alice inquired in ridiculous high spirits. Jesus, she was still at it! I felt like I could just slap her already and she had not really done anything. It was the optimistic cheer in her voice that sickened me. Esme turned around in her seat to face Alice. "Can we make smores too? Since it is Rosie's first night at the cabin and it could be like a welcome to the family party?"

I felt my breakfast threatening its return and fire burned inside me at _that_ nickname!

"That sounds like a nice idea, baby," Esme cooed.

Alice cheered and I felt her slip her thin arm trough mine so she locked elbows with me. I think she was trying to hug me again! These people were worse than the frickin' Brady Bunch! How was I going to keep this up for eight whole weeks? I was exhausted already. There was no way I was going to be able to be this _good_ all summer.

To Be Continued…

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_**Thank you for reading.**_

_**What do you think of Rosalie's reaction to meeting the Cullen family?  
**_

_A new sketch will be posted on my deviantart page and livejournal (username: marrabelle). I was not sure which character to post, but I am thinking Alice is so darn cute, that this will be her week! ;) Go check it out!_

_Next chapter will be Esme's point of view and chapter four will be Carlisle's. This story is based around Rosalie, but it is just as much about the Cullen family coming together and the struggles they all face so there will be quite a few chapters from Esme and Carlisle.  
_


	3. Chapter 3 A Mother's Work

_Happy Monday to you all. Here is chapter 3. There are new character drawings on my deviantart page. The link is on my profile if you care to take a peek. This chapter is from Esme's POV...a bit of a time jump back (only a few weeks)...I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think once you've read or ask anything you would like to know and I will get back to you. Thank you._

_Thank you to RandomSugarRush for beta-ing this chapter for me! :)_

_Disclaimer:I don't own any of the characters Stephanie Meyer has created. I am just a girl writing a fan fiction story._

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**Thorns**

**Chapter Three**

Thursday, June 11th, 2009

"Tara Lynn, please take that purple crayon out of your mouth," I sighed. My word, that child had more color on her hands and face than she did on her paper. She was the only one of sixteen children in my morning kindergarten class that still insisted on sampling everything she was given. "Crayons are for coloring, darling," I reminded her. Thank Heavens the markers, paints, and crayons were non-toxic.

The little girl responded well to my warning and removed the crayon from her mouth and continued smear it and her saliva over her construction paper. I gently squeezed her shoulder to show her I was pleased with her listening skills and then moved around the room to survey the other children.

"Mrs Cullen! Mrs Cullen!" Jason caught my attention. I knelt down to be at his level, laying my hands on the short desk to steady my crouch.

"Yes, Jason?"

"Matthew won't share the black crayon and I asked him nicely!"

"I'm usin' it!" Matthew argued from my left side. He was coloring some sort of black creature — a dog perhaps — and he seemed quite annoyed to be disturbed. How could you really blame Jason so losing patience, though? At age five, kids didn't always grasp time management. He must need the black crayon and waiting was hard for a kindergartner to grasp.

"But I need it!" Jason proclaimed. "I have to color my dad's hair now!"

"Have you asked Matthew if you could, please, use the black crayon when he is done with it?" I asked the boy. He nodded. "Alright, then. I am sure when Matthew is finished coloring his…"

"Bigfoot!" Matthew exclaimed confidently.

"Oh, yes. That is Bigfoot for sure! Well done, Matthew," I complimented with a smile. "When you are finished coloring your Bigfoot, Jason is waiting _patiently_ to use the black crayon. Have you told Jason that you will share it with him when you are finished using it?"

"I will," Matthew said. Jason looked pained to have to wait, but the situation was under control so I smiled and decided to let them figure out the rest on their own.

"Thank you, boys… for sharing so nicely with one another," I thanked them both. That appeased, I took a glance at Jason's paper as I stood up and made sure to give him some praise as well. "My goodness, Jason! That drawing looks just like your father. I am sure he will be so pleased when you show him the good work you have done in class today!" Jason grinned and with that note of encouragement he momentarily forgot the urgency for the black crayon and he picked up a blue one to color his dad's shirt.

Crisis averted. I carried on to the next row of desks.

"That is a lovely flower, Kira. I like the pink petals and green stem. Good work!" I praised the frail girl. My heart stuttered each time I thought of her, especially today. She smiled proudly back at me — such a sweet, innocent child. I had come to the decision that intervention was needed in her behalf and today was the day that I was meeting with someone from Child Protection Services.

Kira had barely spoken when she started in my class last fall. Some children were shy and it was a big adjustment to go from preschool or home to being in school for a half a day. At first, I thought her shyness was normal for a child with no siblings and a single father taking care of her. It was not that I suspected any sexual or physical abuse — Kira was not easily startled or timid — but she often smelled unclean and she would come to school in the same outfit for days at a time.

I had always been curious about her home life because she didn't have the same stories to tell at share time as the other boys and girls. Her journal entries most often seemed to say, "My daddy worked and then we had pizza," and I often had to edit out the word, "beer," from the sentence before writing that above her drawing of her and her father.

It is a hard thing to call child services when you suspect neglect, but so many incidents occurred over the course of a year that I finally took initiative to call on her father to ask him a few questions about her hygiene and who made her lunches — which were atrociously unhealthy and sometimes sparse. I often shared my lunch with her.

Kira's dad was a single father. He was a kind man — I doubt he had ever laid a cruel hand on her, but he didn't seem to have a handle on taking care of his only daughter since her mother left them last summer. He had been gracious enough to confide in me about this on several occasions. In return, I expressed my concerns for Kira's well being and offered him some solutions and pointed out a number of support groups he might be interested in.

There was a major improvement to be seen after our chat. I thought that I had done the right thing by giving him the chance to get his act together. There was nothing worse than bringing child services into a situation when it could be avoided with some constructive advice. And my advice had really changed things for Kira. She came to school clean, in clean clothes, and with a lunch bag every day. He had taken our conversation to heart… or so I thought. I was overjoyed that I would not have to call child services to report neglect.

Sadly, these positive changes didn't last. Things had slipped back to how they had been for Kira at the beginning of the year and had actually gotten a little worse when her father had to pick up more hours at his job at the Post. She was happy to be in class with me, but she got very quiet when it was time to leave and her lunch bag was now, more often than not, filled with only a bruised fruit and/or a granola bar. There was no drink, no sandwich — nothing of substance.

Yesterday I called child services and asked to speak with Clara Butterfield, who I knew from a few other school reports that had been filed over the years. She was coming to see me after class to record my take on the neglect I was witnessing.

My stomach was in knots about the whole ordeal. This was the first time I, personally, felt the absolute need to report neglect. As a mother of five former foster children, all of whom had spent years waiting in the child care system — waiting forever for families to adopt them — I was not happy about the possibility of Kira going into a foster home if need be. But what was the alternative? She was not being properly cared for and not once did she use affectionate terms to describe her father or to describe how her father feels about her. She might be better off in a foster home.

I hope I am right.

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I threw my keys down in the bowl on the counter on my way into the kitchen. It was after two in the afternoon and I was hours later arriving home than my usual time. It had been a grueling afternoon spent filing a report against Kira's father. I felt like a monster.

The sun was bright and shining brilliantly though the bay window where our round table and seven chairs sat. Every day this sight, where our family sat together for breakfast and dinner every day, would lift me up. So, I pulled out my usual chair and slumped down in it and I placed my hands on the table. Then I proceeded to close my eyes and reminisce.

My husband and I couldn't have children of our own. I had an accident as a teenager — that's how I met Carlisle, in fact — and it caused irreparable damage to my reproductive organs. I had never had the chance to pity myself over this because Carlisle and I were more than fortunate to have made the wonderful family we have today. Five beautiful children, all of them made for us, were each a blessing to our lives. I had nothing to feel pitiful for. My life was magical — truly.

However, I had my bad days. Today, dealing with Clara, was one of them. It brought me back to the struggles we had with the transition of fostering to adoption of second child, Jasper. He had been neglected in the same manner — only it was a mother in his case — as I had witnessed from Kira. Unfortunately, he had not fared as well at his foster homes prior to coming to live with our family. One bad experience after the next — he was practically mute when we brought him home. I would hate to think about Kira going through such hardships after the sad life she was living at the moment.

Clara had been optimistic about Kira's outlook. Apparently, there were grandparents who had shown the appropriate amount of concern and love for the little girl when they were confronted about the neglect. They had not been aware such was going on since they had very few chances to meet with their granddaughter and they were reaching out to take Kira into their home now. Clara had hopes they would be granted custody of the little girl for the time being — so long as their track records were clean that was most likely going to be the case.

I had to think positively. There was hope for children like Kira. People like Clara were working so hard to find good homes for them and with the unbelievable fortitude Carlisle and I were given in finding all our children, we believed that miracles were possible. Otherwise, we would not be where we were today.

I sighed heavily, and looked around the table and pictured each one of my kids' faces. I felt uplifted to see them in my mind. I was able to smile peacefully, but one thing that Clara had mentioned was weighing on me — nagging at me, in fact.

After we had finished with the matter at hand, and I was thanking her for her time, I asked her how she was doing. I had not expected her to tell me, since she was normally such a quiet woman when it came to personal details of her work or her feelings, but she looked grateful to share with me a little bit about one child she was struggling to find a home for. Of course, no details were given out of respect for the child. However, Clara was distraught to find a home for the fourteen-year-old girl whose current foster home —which had only had her for two weeks time — was raising Hell to be rid of her. I could not imagine how this was possible and Clara's reactions showed she felt the same way as I did. No matter how a much a child might act out, there was no reason to treat them like returnable items.

After what had been another draining conversation, my instincts took over and I spoke out for the girl.

"I don't know if this is a possibility, but my family and I are spending the summer up at Blue Mountain Lake…" I had told Clara. I immediately wanted to back down. I knew this was a matter that needed to be discussed with Carlisle before I offered it to Clara, but my heart was already in it and my mouth kept going. "Perhaps, if we are eligible, we could offer the child a home for the summer. We have plenty of room and extra beds for the kids to bring friends if they wanted to. As you know, we have five kids of our own — three of them are teenagers and two others who are certain they are as well — so she would fit in with our family. I think Carlisle would be onside with me if I discussed this with him." It was true. Emmet, Edward, and Bella were sixteen, fifteen, and fourteen. Alice, nine, thought she was a teenager and Jasper was game for anything his older brothers were into.

"That is very kind of you, Esme," she had replied, flabbergasted by my surprising suggestion. She was not the only one who had not expected this. I was a little surprised too. She was not entirely relieved, though. She remained stressed as she continued to speak. "I would need to meet with you and your husband to go over some more of this young girl's case, if you both are seriously interested in obtaining a temporary custody of her for the summer months. She has a sordid past, I am afraid. It is making it very difficult to find homes willing to take her."

I won't lie — Clara's admission that the girl was troubled in one way or another was disheartening slightly, but it didn't make me want to withdraw my initial offer.

"She is a good girl. She needs some guidance… but don't we all?" Clara continued. I nodded. I could not believe any child should be given up on. The idea of her past getting in the way of her future troubled me.

"I will bring the idea up to Carlisle this evening when he is home from work. I have your number so I can call you as soon as we have discussed it. Is that alright?" I had asked, eager to turn the plan into action — for the young girl's sake.

"Oh, Esme. You don't know how much I appreciate this. There is no pressure, of course, but I am thrilled with the possibility. This girl needs a loving home like yours. It would be such a positive experience for her. If it could work out for the summer, that would be a blessing. It would give me a good amount of time to really search for a more permanent home for her. Finding homes at short notice has not been easy. I think I am doing her a disservice at times, but I don't like to send her to the detention center or any of the shelters unless there are no other options," she had told me with her hand over her chest as she leaned into me to touch my hand with the other.

I smiled. I had not done anything more than what I thought was right.

Clara was enthusiastic too. She spoke on, "I am aware of your family history and there would be no issue granting you custody if the pair of you are certain you can handle the responsibility of another child. I can't discuss her case in more detail right now, but if your husband is on board I would be privileged to give you more information."

"I understand. How about I give you a call this evening? Carlisle will be home around six. When is it too late to call you?"

"It is never too late for good news," she had laughed. I felt her relief as she considered that this plan might work out. "You can call me as late as you need, Esme. I will be up and I would love to hear from you no matter what you and your husband decide. I don't want you to feel rushed — this is not a decision to take lightly. I want you to be absolutely sure if you choose to go through with this."

And that is how it had ended between us.

"Mommy!" I heard Alice sing at the top of her lungs as soon as the front door opened downstairs. A smile crept on my face and I stood up and wiped out the creases in my skirt and faced the archway between the kitchen and the family room where the stairs from the ground floor reached the second. Sure enough, footsteps thudded up the stairs and first to pop into my sight was my youngest.

Carlisle and I adopted Alice and her older siblings, Isabella and Emmett, almost two years ago when they were seven, twelve, and fourteen. This summer would mark the second anniversary of that joyous occasion. They had lived with us for six months prior as foster kids, but they had only an ailing grandmother to speak of so we filed for adoption right away and were granted our wish to have all three join our family. It was a wonderful experience — as was the adoption of our other boys, Edward and Jasper. The trio had melded so well with us we were a family the moment they entered our home that first day.

God's plan, as Carlisle would say. I had to agree with him. We were not overly religious, though we both had witnessed miracles in our lives that suggested that we were not alone in this world. Some divinity had blessed us with five intelligent, happy, healthy kids. What more could a woman ask for in her life? Well, besides being married to the most generous man — compassionate and loyal to a fault. That was my Carlisle!

"Hey Mommy, guess what? Guess what?" Alice shouted at me as she barreled into the room, her feet barely making a sound as they hit the linoleum floor since she weighed less than an average six or seven year old.

"Surprise me!" I suggested, opened my arms for my hug.

I will admit that Alice's tiny size had worried me when she first entered our home. Bella was well within her weight and height percentile for her age and Emmett was a big boy — nearly six-foot-three at age sixteen — so Alice's aversion to growth had made me nervous. However, she was healthy and happy and ate like she had a hollow leg. Carlisle had told me not to worry so much — she was just petite.

I was a mother. How could I not worry about the well-being of my children?

Just try telling him not to worry when Bella is going on a school hiking trip or that her school was having a sport's week. Carlisle certainly understood how I felt when it came to protecting our children — all of them, but Bella's in particular. The child had the most wretched luck when it came to thwarting injury. Usually nothing serious occurred, but in two years she had sprained her ankle on numerous occasions, had several concussions, broken a couple of fingers, needed stitches to mend a cut under her chin, and multiple black eyes from running into objects or tripping and falling down. There was no justification for her hideous misfortune — Bella's equilibrium was functioning properly.

Alice crashed into me — gracefully, if you can imagine — and buried her face into my side, her pointy chin tickling my hipbone as she told me her news. "Our class is having a talent show on the last day of school and I am going to dance. Mrs. Bevan is going to let us practice everyday a little bit in the gym and then on the last day we perform our talents. Mrs. Bevan is giving movie passes to the winners!"

"That sounds wonderful, Alice! Will parents be invited to come watch the show?"

"I don't think so it's just for the class why do you want to come?" Alice spoke at an alarmingly fast pace, stringing her words together with out breaking them into sentences. She often did this when she was elated — quite often she was high on life — and sometimes one of us had to remind her to slow it down a touch. She was very animated, as well. It angered me to hear from other parents who hinted she needed to be on Ritalin when in actual fact she was just spirited in personality. I would never want to tame my little Alice — though, she knew that she had to behave in school or else Carlisle and I would be on her like white on rice.

I chuckled and rocked her back and forth with my hand on her back. "You know your father and I always love to see you perform!" It was true. Nothing brought us more joy then to see any one of our kids participate in an activity that pleased them — Emmet's sport events, Edward's recitals, Alice's dance competitions, Jasper's martial arts shows, or Bella's general love for reading and writing.

Bella walked into the kitchen behind her brothers — who were already at the fridge looking for an afternoon snack.

_Shoot!_ I generally had a healthy snack prepared for the kids for when they returned home from school, but with the morning I had it had completely slipped my mind.

"There is fruit in the basket or carrot sticks cut up in the bottom bin. I don't want you filling up on too much before dinner, boys," I told them. Alice was still stuck to me as I walked a few steps towards the counter. Bella sat at the table and pulled out some homework. Alice let me go and I predicted her train of thought and nipped it in the bud as she reached her sister's side.

"Do you have homework, Alice?" I asked.

"No, Mommy, nothing!" she beamed, inches away from Bella, who was looking like she really wanted to get her work done without any distractions. Bella was my quiet child. Much like Jasper, she didn't express herself as vocally or dramatically as Alice, Emmett, or Edward often would do. She preferred to sort her thoughts out thoroughly before speaking or acting on them. Bella had a bit of a feisty side too, one that came out only when aggravated or when she felt she was being wronged.

"I want you to find something to entertain yourself for the afternoon," I told Alice. "Let your sister do her work."

"Ooo-oh…" she whined lowly. Bella had her nose in her book and didn't look up. I raised an eyebrow at Alice and she smiled and tried again. "Okay!" Then she skipped away merrily — probably heading up to her room to play 'fashion show' with her Barbie dolls. God bless her, she was still my little girl. The others were all growing up and losing interest in dolls, trucks, and other such toys.

Alice was not very concerned with what the other kids her age were up to as long as she was having fun. She did her own thing and that sometimes got her into trouble. On more than one occasion she found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time — claiming she was trying to help fix a problem. Alice was an honest child, never giving us any reason to mistrust her intentions. If she claims she "just knew" that something bad was going to happen and she couldn't explain how she knew… then it was as simple as that.

She had a hard time making long-lasting friends, what with her uncanny know-it-all tendencies and her overall enthusiasm for life. She liked school, and she was a bright child, but the other kids teased her.

We had no proof, but Carlisle and I felt there was something beyond our comprehension going on within Alice's mind. At first, Carlisle thought she was suffering from anxiety and that was causing the vivid daydreams that sometimes had her frightened. It seemed likely that the cause for all her worries was due to a past of instability.

After meeting with quite a few well-known Psychiatrists — who threw out diagnoses ranging from PTSD to Schizophrenia — we refused to medicate her for the night terrors because, in truth, they didn't always occur at night. Her sense of déjà vu was an ongoing tribulation in her life, but we felt that she was not suffering from a mental disorder. Alice was a very normal little girl in every way. She rarely let her insights ruin her days. We were proud of her for handling her unique situation with such grace.

I watched Alice round the corner, humming as she skipped. The three boys hurried off with handfuls of carrots in their hands, eager to get to their afternoon activities. I called out after them in inquiry, "Homework, boys?"

"No, Mom!" all three of them shouted back. More footsteps thumping back down the stairs. I could hear Jasper complain that he "never gets to go first." They knew better than to come to Carlisle or I complaining about whose turn it is to play certain video games. We warned them if they could not all play nicely, the game system would be taken away — and they only had an hour to play afterschool each day so they were careful with how they used that time.

"That's not fair, though!" I heard Jasper pout. It was followed by a loud, "Shhh!" from one of his brothers. I sighed and shook my head despairingly.

Jasper was my second youngest, but also the second child we adopted. He was usually quiet and reserved — thoughtful and respectful of everyone around him. His past neglect had made him quite volatile and when he first came home to us he was quick to fight when threatened. We can't even thank therapy for helping him overcome this… it was Alice's doing. We don't know why he suddenly became so serene, but ever since Alice and her siblings moved in, Jasper's anxieties had nearly disappeared. We were very pleased to see him so relaxed. He rarely raised his fists at first conflict anymore. We were so proud of him for this.

He was opening up more and more since our family grew larger. We had felt that adding three more at one time might be too hard on him, but we discussed it with he and Edward and both of them were more than happy to accept Emmett, Bella, and Alice into our family. It turned out to be the right decision for all of us, after all.

Jasper was nine at the time and Alice was only seven — and so small she was easy to carry around. When she took an interest in Jasper's collection of soldiers and all their accompaniments, he was easily persuaded into crawling around on his hands and knees with her riding on his back as if he were her horse. They played so well together, those two. At age eleven, he claimed that he was done with his GI Joes and combat toys. Alice was constantly at him to play with her — coming up with elaborate Barbie and Joe love themes. She promised Jasper romance _and_ danger to make the play fun for the both of them. He usually agreed to play with her, not being able to turn her down — that was Alice for you, and he handled the gentle teasing from his brothers in stride. I thought he was sweet to love his sister so much he would play Barbies to make her happy.

Emmett was always willing to play games with Jasper too, no matter how childish other kids might label the activity. Those two were good companions for one another as well. Carlisle encouraged the kids to all play together, but as they aged and interests varied, they often buddy-up. Emmett and Jasper, Jasper and Alice, Alice and Emmett — which always seemed to end in a mess to clean up, Jasper and Edward, Edward and Alice, Bella and Alice, and Bella and Edward. The latter pairing was most common in the evenings.

Edward was like Bella in that they both enjoyed each other's company without a lot of words. He would play at the piano in the living room and she would curl up on a chair and read. Neither would speak for hours, but they had this silent agreement that they would be there for one another. I was happy to see their friendship grow.

Bella and Edward's meeting had been epic. At first, she took interest in him, but then he shied away so much Bella was sure he hated her. Thus, started a war of angst between them for months. Edward ritually avoided her until she became fed up and she demanded he tell her why she offended him so much — at the dinner table, no less. I can only imagine the amount of will it took Bella to confront him in that manner. Her face blushed from her name being called at times, so she was clearly intent on making amends with Edward or she would not have made such a scene.

Needless to say, they had worked it out and have been best friends ever since. I am sure I know why Edward acted out at the beginning — I am his mother after all — but I will never discuss it unless it became an issue.

Edward had been an only child before his mother passed on. She had raised him alone —his father died when he was only a baby — and tragically, she passed on from an overwhelming case of pneumonia when he was only five years old. Edward was still, to this day, overly sensitive when one of his siblings, Carlisle, or I caught sick — especially Bella.

The fear was in him, which was understandable, so much so that he felt worried about losing someone else he loved. It was one of the things he and his therapist were still working on in hopes that he would not live in constant fear, especially with a sister like Bella who took the brunt of any illness or injury in our household.

Edward was my eldest in one way. He was the first child Carlisle and I adopted. We were twenty-four at the time. I was teaching full time — I decided after we jumped from two children to five that part time was better for our family — and Carlisle was interning at Columbia University Medical Center. Edward had been only six, but he was mature in so many ways — an old soul, I liked to say. He was much like Carlisle in that respect. Being around either one of them made me feel like I was too new to this world – like they saw everything from wiser eyes.

Speaking of Carlisle… he would be home soon and I wanted to prepare his favorite meal — roast beef, gravy, and buttered baby potatoes with a vinaigrette spinach salad and a side of homemade biscuits — because I was about to spring something major on him. It was not that I felt guilty in doing so. I had no need to 'suck up to my husband' to get what I wanted, but this was something huge that I was springing on him and it never hurt to show him how much I loved him. I got to work in the kitchen right away.

"Do you need some help?" Bella offered me. I spun around from the open cupboard where I was pulling out a deep pot.

"No thank you, dear. You may work on your homework. I can handle this on my own tonight." Bella often helped me cook. She was quite the chef when she was careful not to burn, cut or bruise herself in the kitchen.

"Oh, well..." she hummed, closing her books and pushing them aside. I smiled at her knowingly. "It's not required homework. Just… some reading I wanted to do to prepare. I can help you." She was a very good student, but sometimes she turned to schoolwork as a way out of hurting Alice's feelings when she didn't want to play games.

"That would be lovely, dear. Thank you," I accepted her offer and handed her a small sack of baby potatoes and the pot to place them in when she was finished cleaning them.

Soon, Carlisle would be home. We would have a sit down meal as a family. Afterward, when it was the two of us alone, I would discuss with him the possibility of adding one more to our happy family — for the summer months, at least — but who knows. It was never too early to plant seeds. We had so much love to give and if this girl needed us, surely things would work out for the best.

To Be Continued…

* * *

**What do you think Carlisle will say about Esme's offer to Clara?**

_The next chapter is Carlisle's POV. If you would like a teaser please let me know. I would love to hear from you, regardless. **Thank you** for taking the time to read. _:)

_To Lulu (who still needs an account...hehe), thank you! Campfire is coming, I promise. :)_


	4. Chapter 4 Honey, I'm Home

**Thorns**

**Chapter Four**

"Honey, I'm home!" I bellowed as I swung the door between the garage and our mudroom/laundry room. I kicked off my running shoes, one foot at a time; giddy to get upstairs to see my wife after being at work all day. No one had passed away on my shift today. Therefore, I was in a particularly chipper mood. I always tried to keep my work and my family separate — not wanting to burden them with the practicalities of my job — but death was something hard to simply shake off at the end of the day.

"Welcome home!" I heard Esme's voice call back to me from upstairs. I could smell dinner on the way and I felt my heart swell with appreciation. Ah, I sighed. It felt so nice to be home after a long shift at the hospital — not that I didn't enjoy my work. I loved my job. It was just such a gift to come home to my family afterward and see them all happy and healthy. I was a lucky man.

"Hey, Dad," the boys said as I walked into the family room to greet them. Jasper was busy playing the game, his tongue sticking out a bit as he concentrated on the screen. Edward smiled at me as I sat on the armrest of the sofa next to him. He was turning fifteen in a week's time.

"How was your day, Son?"

"Good." Simple enough statement, but better than the alternative. I gave a single nod.

"How about you? Did you have a _good_ day too?" I teased a bit, ruffling Emmett's thick bunches of curls as I spoke. He was sitting on the carpet, leaning his back against the footrest. He dodged away from my hand, but grinned.

"Ya, Dad. It was good."

"Jasper? How was school today?" I asked. He didn't answer right away, still wiggling around with the controller in his hands. They boys only had a few hours of game time after school with their Nintendo Wii, but I did expect a little bit of attention when I spoke. "Jasper?"

He paused the game and his upper body swiveled to face me. "I got perfect on my Geography test," he told me. I nodded. I had expected him to get one hundred percent on that exam. He was a whiz and History and Geography because of his interest in the two subjects.

Now, if he would only love Math and Science, we would have another straight A student in our family. Edward and Bella both were at the top of their grade. Edward was a year older than Bella, but she was the youngest in eighth grade. Edward had been held back when he was younger so he was one of the oldest. They had many classes together and I was pleased to see the improvement in Edward's grades since they were placed in the same classes. He was studious when it came to his music, but he lacked interest in schoolwork. Over the last few years since we brought Emmett, Bella, and Alice into our family he had shown improvement. I think a little bit of healthy competition is good for kids, not that I would ever encourage them to out do one another on a spiteful level. We are each other's motivator, that's all.

Esme and I are proud of all the kids no matter what their report card reads, so long as they try their best.

"I am proud of you, Son. And the rest of your day… how was that?"

"Good," Jasper replied simply, with a pleasant curve to his mouth. It was nice to see him happy and getting along with his brothers. The Nintendo had been put away many times because Esme and I did not tolerate any violence and too many times the boys had gotten out of line over a simple video game.

Jasper had some trouble as a young boy controlling his temper. He had learned growing up that he had to protect himself and had been taught to fight by children much older than him; how to take what he wanted by ways of threats and violence. When he got angry or frustrated he acted on instinct, without thinking. It had taken him years to learn how to tame his emotions.

Then, one day, he almost punched Alice when she snuck up on him. I was watching, though no one knows this because I stayed back, and I witnessed the whole event. The look on his face when Alice cowered away from him… well, he was horrified. For weeks he punished himself, stewing in his own guilt. Esme was beside herself with grief, but I assured her he was fine. Then, suddenly, he was a new boy. He and Alice became best friends. It was like a light went on inside him. I couldn't see the same, angry boy in him anymore.

Jasper turned back to his game and resumed play. I shook my head and a soft chuckle slipped out of my lips. "Alright, carry on then boys. Make sure you are washed up and ready for dinner when you mother calls," I reminded them as I patted Edward's back and stood up.

"Ya, Dad. We will," he responded with a bob of his head.

Sometimes it was like pulling hens teeth to get any of the boys to talk to me. That never meant I would stop asking them about how their day went or how they were feeling. Not often, but on occasion, they would have something to say and this way I was always open to listen if they chose to share with me. I puffed out a short laugh as I considered this and went on my way to greet my girls who were usually more than happy to tell me about how their day went.

"BOO!"

_Holy crow!_ I jumped back and clutched my chest before I realized it was only Alice, popping out to scare me as I rounded the corner after the stairs. It was silly of me to not expect it. At least once a week she did this to me in play. However, suspecting it didn't help to relieve my surprise.

She giggled and jumped up for me to catch her, so I did — then I tossed her up so she was high enough to meet my eyes with hers. She was gleeful, as usual, and thrilled that she had got me again.

"You scared me, baby!" I said seriously, trying to make my face look serious, but she could see right through me and she knew I was not upset with her. Not really, anyhow. I didn't like to be scared — not even in play. She laughed and her arms tightened around my neck so I laughed. "Now, why do you insist on scaring your poor ol' dad like that?"

"Because it's fun to surprise you, Daddy!" she told me, her face filled with such innocence that I threw my head back into a laugh.

"I think you are scaring the life out of me, darling. Daddy found a grey hair the other day. Did your mother tell you that?" I teased Alice, kissing her before I flipped her over in my arms so she was upside down. "Well? Didn't you know that each time a father gets frightened he gets a grey hair?"

"No way, Daddy!" she argued with me. Then she giggled.

"No? It's true! I will show you my grey hairs some time. I know I'm young and all… and very handsome," I added teasingly, "but those grey hairs are coming. Each time one of you guys scares dear ol' dad, I get one more. Pretty soon I will be completely white!"

Alice only laughed so I tickled her side and she wriggled and shrieked until I felt her slipping, so I plopped her down on the carpeted floor. She stared up at me with a huge grin on her face. I pointed to my hair, as I was still crouched over her, and said, "See! Right there. I can feel it!" I felt her tiny hands grab my head and pull it closer to her as she took a closer look. Then she released me.

"That's not a grey hair, daddy. It is just a really blonde one!" she told me shrilly. I straightened up and nodded with a slight smirk escaping on my lips.

"Exactly!" I agreed. She rolled on the floor, laughing like I had not stopped tickling her.

Alice's laugh was such a joyous sound — like bells. I shook my head and then ruffled my hair back with one hand as Alice suddenly stifled her laughter and sprang up and darted ahead of me, around the corner, into the kitchen. I chuckled and followed behind her, ready to see my wife.

However, the kids came first — always. Bella was sitting at one of the bar stools, her hands covered in flour, placing lumps of cream-colored dough on a baking sheet. My mouth was watering from the smell of beef that wafted through the house, but when I saw that tonight's dinner consisted of fresh biscuits too, I was thrilled. That meant there would be gravy and most likely… potatoes! What did I ever do to deserve this? I leaned in and planted a kiss on the side of Bella's head. She smiled, but stayed quiet until I spoke.

"How was your day, sweetie?"

"It went well," she told me softly, her actions were focused on her work, meticulously making each lump of dough the same size and spacing them out on the tray. I thought that was all I was going to get from her, but she continued to ask me, "How was yours?"

"It was very good, thank you for asking," I told Bella and she went back to her duty, smiling, but not having a response to that. I laughed at myself for my generic answer. She turned and looked at me curiously. Esme shook her head at me and raised her one eyebrow at me. I would have to call myself hypocritical if I didn't elaborate so I added, "I took out an appendix this morning and that patient is recovering nicely. The ER was slow today. I treated some minor injuries and sent all those patients home!" Yes, I was very happy about this. Admitting patients always made me feel like a horrible ogre. They fared so much better to finish their healing at home if it was possible for them to do so.

"That is wonderful, honey," Esme sighed in response as she peeked into the oven to check on something. "I am glad you had a good day at work." Something about her tone told me she had not had such a wonderful day.

"Hey, Daddy?" Alice's voice interrupted my thought. I had to remember to ask Esme about how her day went as well. I was interested, but for now I faced my daughter who had come up behind me. "You didn't ask me about my day," she peeped expectantly.

"If you had not jumped out and frightened him, Alice, then your father might have remembered to ask you," Esme interceded.

"How was your day, dear?" I asked Alice, who was eagerly jumping up and down in one spot in front of me.

"It was _great_! We are having a talent show on the last day of school and I'm going to make up a dance! There are going to be votes afterward for the winners and the winners get two movie tickets to the Grand Theaters to see any movie they want! So I can take someone to a movie with me if I win!"

She was so excited I couldn't speak. My face actually hurt from grinning so widely.

"Daddy, if I win… will you go to the movies with me?"

My heart swelled again at her offer to take me to a movie. My nine year old was asking me out on a date. "Are you asking me out on a date, darling?" I asked her. She beamed and nodded. Then her face fell a bit and she looked at Esme.

"That's okay, right mommy? Daddy has taken us to the movies before so I thought I should ask him first. If I could, I would take you too!" Alice rectified. It was so sweet of her to think of me. I usually paid when we went out to the movies, but that was not just my money — it was the family's money. Esme smiled and shook her head. I placed my hand on top of Alice's head and stroked her hair back.

"You are kind to think of paying your father back. He does take us all to the movies and it would a lovely gift if you could take him out sometime."

"What about me?" Bella asked teasingly and she poked Alice with a dusty finger. She left a fingerprint of flour on Alice's shoulder that Alice immediately brushed away feverishly — as she was always quite particular about her clothing being in order. Bella normally didn't speak up and volunteer information. Lately, she had been more verbal with us, though she had never been too shy. It somehow always surprises me when Bella speaks because she tends to be thoughtful — for example, asking me about how my day had been.

Alice gave her sister a curious look and said, "Huh?"

"I am pretty sure you owe me too."

"What for?"

"Lots of stuff."

"Like what?"

Bella exhaled loudly and she paused. I think she was regretting her involvement now, but Alice would expect an example. "For the time you decided to play on Ms Dolores' shed. You nearly gave me a heart attack when you fell off!" Bella stated pointedly.

It was such a random comment that I was caught off guard. I couldn't recall this ever happening and, like it usually took a minute to do, it dawned on me that this was something that took place before my daughters came home to us. I vaguely remember hearing the name Dolores from previous conversations with our former Swan children — now Cullen. They had all decided they wanted to take the family name when the adoption was made final.

"Oh ya!" Alice giggled as she thought about the incident. I was curious now. I couldn't help but want to know everything there was to know about my children… past, present and future.

"What happened?" I asked smiling at Alice, who seemed to find this an amusing tale.

Esme placed a pot of something steaming on the back counter and she came to lean closer to Bella, interested in hearing more as well. Bella opened her mouth, but she paused. I saw the flicker of hesitation in her eyes. She was not generally the one to come forward with stories of their past in the foster program. Alice would gladly share any story with us; you didn't usually have to ask her. Emmett was the same way. But Bella was thoughtful. She didn't like to hurt people and I worried that she was not entirely comfortable talking about her former homes, merely because she called us mom and dad now and didn't want to drag up the past again. Esme and I didn't push the kids to talk about their past, but we certainly believed it was better for them to all have the security of knowing that they could tell us anything, no matter what it was about.

"Oh… well, that was pretty much it," Bella said. "She climbed up the hazelnut tree and got onto the roof of the shed. Then she fell off and landed between the fence and the shed."

"It was really slippery though, 'cause it rained, so it was not my fault!" Alice cleared that up, never liking to be accused of anything ungraceful, as she was generally not the one in the family who fell down.

"That must have been frightening for you to witness, Bella. Were you hurt, Alice?" Esme inquired what I was also wondering. I knew about pretty much every major scar any one of my kids had. Emmett's eyebrow had one thin line cutting through it from being kicked with a cleat. Bella had so many it was hard to keep track — yet I still knew where each one came from. Heck, she spent more hours in the ER than some people have on vacation in their lifetimes. Jasper's skin was marked with scars that he hid and didn't like to talk about and I even know where he got those. I couldn't recall Alice having any major scars as I scanned my memory quickly.

"Naw… I wasn't hurt. I was laughing, remember? 'Cause I was stuck between the fence and the shed and it was funny!" Alice giggled, brushing the whole thing off. Bella looked sadly wistful for a moment before she replied.

"You _were so_ hurt! You didn't laugh afterward when I was the one who had to clean all your scratches. You screamed and kicked at me and told me you hated me!" Bella reminisced with a frown.

I could believe that Alice would behave that way — worse as a younger child. She was never easy to wrangle when she was hurt, even now. It was just a good thing she didn't injure herself often. The one time she got stung by a bee, she fought me when I tried to get the stinger out of her arm with tweezers. I recall it took both Esme and me quite a while to calm her still enough so I could get that darn thing out. She was never the kind to sit with an ice pack either. Her arm swelled and that was a whole other issue trying to put a paste on the inflamed area. She screamed like I was trying to murder her in the moment, but a few moments later she was sweet as pie with hugs and kisses when the cream soothed her burning arm. Alice never ceased to surprise me with her spirit!

"And Emmett came and ripped apart the fence to get you out," Bella continued. "Ms Dolores was so angry with us for that! You don't remember because you were little and she pampered you! We were the ones in trouble for not watching you closely enough and for destroying her property!" Bella boldly told her little sister. I could see the upset on Bella's face. Alice was no longer cheerful either, though she clearly had not known how Bella had felt about that day.

"Where was Ms Dolores while all this was happening?" I thought to ask. Bella looked at me and there was a short pause before she shrugged. "Well, placing blame on any of you was absurd. She should have been there to keep an eye on you kids."

Bella scoffed a laugh. I was sensing this topic was over since she turned her back and began fiddling with the dough pie on the baking sheet again.

"Those ready to go in the oven, dear?" Esme asked reaching towards the biscuits. Bella nodded and handed the tray over. "Thank you, hon."

"Hey!" Alice suddenly blurted out and she poked Bella's back. "I thought you had homework to do?" _Uh, oh._ I was well aware of how Bella likes to stick her nose in her studying sometimes rather than play with her sister. She just didn't have the heart to turn Alice away so she would make more work for herself.

Esme intervened in the nick of time. "Alice, why don't you go wash up for dinner and tell the boys to do the same? Then come back here and get everyone a drink for supper," she instructed.

"Okay," Alice sang and she skipped away merrily, now focused on her new task.

I placed my hand on Bella's back and stepped in front of her line of sight. She was a perfect height for me to kiss her forehead when she was sitting on one of the tall bar stools as she was. With my other hand, I tucked a lock of her thick, brown hair behind her ear. "Are you alright, kiddo?" I asked her softly. Her eyes met mine and she smiled lightly and nodded. I kissed her forehead and released her, knowing it was time to drop the subject.

Bella would tell me if she wanted to discuss something that was bothering her. It just took her some time to think about it first and she would often bring it up some other time when she was ready. I know that it was hard on her growing up. She had to be a sister and a mother to her siblings — always the responsible one. She had a hard time letting go of those instincts and letting herself be taken care of now. She still tucked Alice into bed at night. She'd let Esme and I come in and hug them both before bed now. That had been challenging for Bella a few years ago when we first met her.

I liked to see her thriving. She was so much more mature than other girls her age and yet she was innocent at the same time. A tiny bit fragile — nothing like Alice who could probably take us all down if she made up her mind to do it. No, Bella was a gentle soul. She was very giving and threw her heart into any matter concerning the people she loved. Bella was a lot like Esme in that respect.

"My love…" I sighed as I walked up behind my wife and wrapped my arms around her waist in a hug. I caught a whiff of her hair as she moved slightly and a strand tickled under my nose. "You smell amazing!" I didn't tell her what she smelled like — that would not have gone over well. Her hair smelled like gravy, like she had maybe gotten some in her hair while she was cooking, but I could not come out and say that to her. It was not romantic sounding in the slightest, but it sure turned me on. I loved Esme's fragrance whether it was lilac soap from her morning bath or if it was like meat juice from cooking our evening meal. Heck, she smelled amazing smeared in finger paint and wax crayon too!

"I need to talk to you after dinner about something," she said so low it was practically a whisper. She had ignored my compliment, which was fine, but that told me she was stressed about something. She was lost in her chore as she moved from my arms and continued to prepare supper.

"Is everything alright?" I pulled out a stack of plates from the cupboard above our heads and waited. "Oh, you had that meeting today with-" I stuttered, not wanting to be talking about this too loudly for the children to overhear. The term 'social worker' was one that seemed to tense a few of them up even though they were all legally our children under the law now.

"Yes," she said simply. Then she looked at me. "It went as well as to be expected under the circumstances, but I do need to talk to you after dinner in private about something that came up during that meeting."

"Of course."

Esme smiled and leaned in to kiss my cheek, her eyes closed and her lips lingered on my cheek long enough for me to feel her warm breath exhale on my skin. "Thank you. Set salad bowls on the table as well, please," she instructed gently as she retreated her lips from my face.

"Yes, dear." It was true what they say about a happy wife. It makes for a happy home. It sure as heck makes me a happy man.

Needless to say, we all stuffed ourselves at supper that night. It was a real treat to have roast beef on a weekday — Emmett was over the moon as well! I wasn't sure why, but Esme had made all my favorites and it was only Thursday. Even though Esme's cooking was always delicious, usually our more _fancy_ meal was left for Sunday night. I wasn't about to complain, it just struck me as odd, that's all.

What was more odd… was a moment where Bella noticed an extra glass of water on the table and she asked who's it was. Usually, we all had milk with dinner, but the only other option was water and the kids knew and understood this. Everyone claimed his or her drinking glass and we noted that, in fact, Alice had made a mistake setting the table. Alice had inadvertently — or not — placed an eighth glass on the table, but this one was filled with water instead of milk.

"You expecting someone to join us, Alice, or are you just bad at basic math?" Edward had teased her. "There are _seven_ of us. _Seven_."

Alice shrugged it off and stuck her tongue out at her brother in retaliation. She said she was not quite sure how she managed to miscount. Esme was awfully quiet in the midst of the amusing incident. It was another one of Alice's unexplained episodes. We all reveled in the strange occurrence, had a couple of good laughs, and then decided not to think to hard on it — for there was not always an explanation for everything Alice said or did. I don't think Esme found Alice's mistake to be as funny as the rest of us had, though. She was still troubled by her thoughts.

After dinner was done, the dirty dishes were in the dishwasher, and all the leftovers were put away — not many since Emmett and I each had seconds of everything — the kids excused themselves to get started on their evening activities. There was no television on school nights, so their first task was always homework. If they had nothing to study for school the next day they were free to play games or read — nothing electronic unless it was just some music playing softly in the background. We were not overly strict, the kids had the freedom to play video games or watch television after school before dinner if they wanted to, but after dinner it was mandatory 'quiet time' in the Cullen home.

I had not forgotten Esme's wish to speak with me. As soon as the kids were settled in their activities, I found her in the kitchen, seated at the table with her hands folded together in front of her. The kitchen was as private a setting as any other since there was no more food to be prepared or eaten, so the kids were not likely to disturb us in there. I sat next to her and moved in to take her hand. That made her smile, though it was weak.

"Tell me about your day," I said gently, not wanting to probe her until she was ready to share, but I may have pushed too hard because her eyes looked down and a few tears came dripping out without much warning. "Oh. Oh, darling," I hummed as I instinctively pulled her into me and held her close. It hurt me to see her cry. "I am sure that little girl will be okay." I hoped so, anyhow. I knew how distraught she had been over the little girl from her class who she was trying to help. I know from experiences at the hospital how hard it is contacting child services when neglect or abuse is suspected. It was a delicate situation.

"I hope so because she won't be able to live with her father again for a while… maybe never again," Esme wept.

"She needed more than he was able to give her."

"I know… and she is with her grandparents now, so at least she has other family, but I can't help feeling like I am the monster."

"You did the right thing… the responsible thing. Someone needed to speak up for the child." I was not sure what else to say. I knew how hard it was for her, but she had no other choice than to call for help when the child was continuously showing up to her class without clean clothing or a packed lunch. Esme was nestled into my chest, clinging to my shirt with her delicate hand. She sighed a stuttering breath in and then she leaned back as she exhaled.

"There is something else…" she whispered bravely.

I held her face in my hands and wiped her tears away with my thumbs. There were no fresh ones falling at the moment. "Please tell me," I whispered.

"Well, after Clara and I finished discussing Kira, she happened to mention another little girl. Well, not little. She is Bella's age…" she rambled, but then took a short pause. I could tell she was thinking the same as I was — fourteen was still very young. "Clara can't seem to find a permanent home for her and the girl is between foster homes right now and she might end up in a group home for the summer months. I don't know why, but it just slipped out and I suggested that we might be able to take her with us to the cabin for the summer. I know. I know I should have talked to you first, but I — I — I…"

"Baby, slow down. I am with you," I hushed softly. She had not taken a breath in so long, that the doctor in me was slightly worried she would hyperventilate when she tried to catch it again. She need not be so concerned about my opinion anyhow. I would do anything with her as long as we were together. She knew that, but I guess with the stress of today and all the other work she did for the family, she was overwhelmed. I could understand that. The topic of adding one more to our already family of seven was not one to take lightly.

"It's crazy, right? We might not even be eligible to take a child with us out of the city for eight weeks so this very well may be pointless to get so worked up over…"

"It is never pointless, Esme," I told her gently, rubbing her back with my hand. She was consoled for the most part, but I knew that nothing I said or did would help make this feeling inside go away — helplessness, that is. I felt it too sometimes when faced with all the cruelty out there in the world. You know the expression 'you can't save them all'? Well, that was one both Esme and I had trouble accepting in our lines of work.

"This might sound crazy, Carlisle, but I had this feeling inside when Clara mentioned the girl that we were meant to help her."

"That is not crazy," I assured my wife. After all, she was instrumental in making our family the success it was today. I had never once considered adopting as a young man. The thought had not crossed my mind. I was so fortunate to have a good woman guiding me. Our children made my life complete. Without them I would not be who I am today. So, what _was _crazy was Esme thinking that I would ever mind hearing about her intuitions when it came to our family.

"Clara said that if we decided we are interested for sure, she could give us some more information and she would look into granting us temporary custody of the girl for the summer. We would have no obligation to agree to it until after we go over the papers with Clara, but I think that we should try to help the child if we can. I don't like to think about one more child spending time in one of those shelters."

"You are absolutely right. We'll try to make it work!" I decided. I didn't need to hear more. "We will have to talk this over with the kids first, but I think one more for the summer would be doable. There is always room for more!"

"Oh, yes!" She agreed with me, and took my hands as if I had just given her the moon. It didn't take much to make my wife happy. She was the most loving, maternal woman I had ever met. "There is room at the cabin to sleep all of us and then some and she is around the kid's ages. She could bunk up with the girls. Alice won't mind sharing a bunk bed with her. Alice will love it, in fact! It could be fun for all of us. A chance to make new friends!"

"Let's talk to the kids then, shall we?" I suggested with a hesitant smile. Esme leaned back in her chair like a weight had been lifted from her. I squeezed her hand and turned my head to shout out for our children to come take their seat at the table once more. We had a lot to talk about before we could execute this idea into reality. I was positive that our children would be on board. After all, they had the unfortunate chance to be in a similar situation as this young girl. Knowing my kids, they would all accept one more for the summer months — until Clara could find a permanent home for the girl.

To Be Continued…

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**What do you think of the story so far? I think you can see where this is headed...right? ;) **


	5. Chapter 5 Hear Me Roar

_**AN**-Thank you so much to all who took the time to review. :) I hope ff sent you the review responses like it should have. The site was a bit wonky for a few days._

_ Jasper was the most requested character you wanted to see drawn, so he is now posted in my deviant art gallery. The link is on my profile page if you are interested in taking a look and stopping by to say Hi! It would have gone better with Esme's description of him in chapter 6 (coming up), but I aim to please! :D On that note... read the AN at the end of this chapter to hear about my offer for the next drawing. ;)_

_Thank you to my beta, RandomSugarRush, who is busy and having internet issues, but she stays up til 3am to send this to me so I could post today. :D You're the best, girl! _

_Disclaimer: Obviously I am not Stephanie Meyer-- I am Marra, and I am only borrowing her characters for this fan fiction. Please don't sue me. _

_Warning: Course language alert! A few cuss words in this chapter--very mild--may only be one word. I am sure you have heard this one before, and probably used it yourself a couple times, though your parents and teachers would not approve. ;) Don't worry. I won't tell them if you won't tell on me!  
_

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**Thorns**

**Chapter Five**

Saturday, June 27th, 2009

I thought living with Lily and Royce had been my own personal Hades. But, no — oh, no — this was worse! I was riding in an SUV with five happy kids and their equally pleasant parents, singing songs. Well, I wasn't singing, but they were actually singing car songs! The little one, Alice, kept trying to hold my hand and force me to join in with her. I could feel the bile trying to rise up from within me, but I forcefully held back my disgust. If we didn't get to wherever the hell we were going, and soon, I was going to snap!

We had stopped once to fill the truck with gas. While stopped, we had lunch in the car consisting of soggy peanut butter and jam sandwiches from a cooler. I ate one half, but could not force anymore of it down or I might have actually vomited. I was grateful for the cool bottled water they gave me, though. It felt nice to sip on. After lunch, we got back on the road and the singing started up again. _Fuck!_

I could not keep my mouth shut any longer. "How much longer will we be on the road?" I asked suddenly with a directness that made Dr Cullen nearly jump in his seat. Mrs Cullen — or Esme, as she wanted me to call her — smiled at me and then looked at her husband for the answer. Was she stupid or something? This was her cabin too, right? She lived there too and should know the route and be able to give me an answer. Or perhaps she was just his 'little woman'. Most men were arrogant… so controlling! I didn't respect women who lived and breathed their husband's every whim.

"Oh, not too much longer, sweetie," he told me. Sweetie? Oh shit on things… he was one of those people who liked to patronize others with what seem like endearing terms of affection, but really just demeans them. This had not been the first time he or his wife had called me some silly term like sweetie or dear. I marked that as a point against them. I loathed being called anything but my name.

"Right..." I replied sharply, impatiently. I suppose I should have been more specific. "…but how much longer in minutes, _Sir_?"

"Ha ha… Sir!" Alice laughed loudly. I instinctively leaned away from her shrill voice, it irritating my nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard. She was just a little kid, I reminded myself.

Perhaps it was a mistake calling him that, but I was not clear yet on his title. He was a doctor so I could probably address him as Dr Cullen, but that was so formal and he was not on the job right now. Mr Cullen probably wasn't right either since Esme didn't want to be called Mrs Cullen. Come to think of it, she didn't like being called, Ma'am, either so it may have seemed rude of me to call him, Sir, like I just had.

"Oh, maybe about twenty more minutes. The lake should be visible trough the trees pretty soon here," he answered me. "And you don't have to call me Sir, sweetie. Carlisle is fine."

That was good to know. I had panicked for nothing. And twenty more minutes was doable. I caught him making eye contact with me in the rear view mirror. Then he winked at me, his eyes smiling at the corners. I wasn't sure what he was thinking, but I would not be fooled by his 'nice guy' act.

Twenty minutes later, almost right on the dot, we pulled into a thin, one-lane, gravel road that lead down to the lake. Once the cabin was in sight, the road that traveled around the lake was no longer visible, so we were secluded in some ways. I was pretty sure the Cullens were not axe murders, though. They truly were as wholesome as Clara had described them — the perfect family.

The cabin was every bit as brown and wooden as I had expected it to be, but it was not unkempt. I was pleased to see that is was rather large, with a peeked roof that faced the lake. There was a porch that encircled the entire front and side of the house and there was even a porch swing. I could feel my sarcasm spread to my face as I could picture them all sitting out there with hot chocolate, sharing stories with one another of past years.

"Well, this is home for the next eight weeks!" Esme told me. She somehow managed to get her arm around me again as she led me toward the house. I didn't bother to ask about my bags. The others were already at work unloading them. I assumed they would bring mine in too, since they were last to go in the truck.

"Home, sweet, home. No TV, no computer, and no video games… for eight. Whole. Weeks!" the big, dark haired boy — the one who took my breath away — informed me, nudging me with his elbow as he walked by carrying a box of supplies in his arms. I turned my eyes from him, not being able to stand the sight of him any longer. Esme laughed and pulled me tighter to her side. She nearly made me trip on my own two feet.

"It is more relaxing that way. We have shelves loaded with books and board games, though, so there is no need to sit around bored!" she called out to her son, who was already in the door. "And we like to go hiking, canoeing and swimming. There are plenty of fun activities here that do not involve electronics. Believe me. We are going to have so much fun together."

_Ya, right!_

"We have campfires and tell stories too. And play charades! It's my favorite game!" Alice thrilled, making me step back. She appeared in the door frame out of nowhere as I tried to enter ahead of Esme. It was impossible to maneuver around these people. The darn woman still had her hand on my shoulder! I was not planning on running away for fuck sake — not yet, at least! We were out in the boonies and I was not familiar with this part of New York State. I would only run if it were no other alternative.

"Move, Alice!" someone said rudely. I looked up and saw Edward standing behind her with an impatient look about him.

"You didn't say please!" she taunted him. I saw her sister and the big one, Emmett, walk up and both of them rolled their eyes. I was slightly relieved that they found the midget to be a pain in the ass too. Emmett didn't wait for either of them to make a move, he just reached over and plucked his sister out of the doorway and set her down a few feet away. His muscular arms barley flexed as he did so.

"Unhand me!" She bellowed and then let out a playful sound that was supposed to resemble a growl. It sounded more like a purr than anything else — a kitten caught in the paws of an enormous bear.

Emmett rubbed the top of her head and she laughed so I guess she was used to this sort of play with him. I would have been enraged if someone moved me against my will. If I was to be classed as a feline I would have to be a White Bengal Tiger — a rare beauty — magnificent, endangered, and fierce. I don't purr, I roar!

"I suppose a quick tour is in order," Esme told me softly, snapping me out of my daydreams. I caught her eying her children and they seemed to mellow off a bit. Edward graciously let me come inside with a motion of his hand and as soon as I did he breezed out in the other direction. "We want you to feel at home here so you feel free to look around get acquainted with the house. Snoop around a bit if you wish."

I had heard that before, but I doubted she meant I could really snoop around. People didn't like strangers up in their business. I was sure that there were some restricted areas, like the master bedroom or something.

"The main floor, as you can see, is fairly open. We spend a lot of time outside, but the evenings we hang out in here mostly. The kitchen, the dining room, the living area, and over there a small laundry room…" she pointed out. The room was one large space so that was obvious to see what she meant — no privacy at all. With everyone except Carlisle inside now, it was getting crowded inside. And I was already painfully aware I was going to share a room with the other girls, so I would have no place to go to be alone. That was going to get to me sooner or later.

"The bathroom is down that hallway on the left," she said, pointing to the right were a door was visible at least, though I suspected there were more if I peeked down the hallway it was attached to. "That first door, on the right, is the girls' room and down the hall a bit further is the boys' room. The linen closet and broom closet are at the very end."

"And Mom and Dad's room is upstairs!" Alice squealed, pointing to the far left corner of the room where a set of stairs swirled up to a second floor. I looked up and noticed that there was a solid balcony, but the wall didn't go up to the ceiling since it was a tall, peaked roof. That meant that someone could look down over the main floor from the second story loft.

"Yes, and we have a second bathroom up there and we don't mind sharing it if the downstairs one is occupied. Just knock on the wall first if you want to come up there when Carlisle and I are in bed. Uh, well, unless we are sleeping. Then you can just come up. You know — if the lights are off you might as well just come up. I doubt you will need to if it is that late since the chance of you getting up to use the bathroom at the same exact time as someone else is not likely at night, but it does happen and..." She was rambling, but then she just stopped abruptly all of a sudden. I could tell she did this often because the other kids seemed to be watching her curiously, but with smirks on their faces like this was not unusual behavior for their mother. "Well, anyway… if you want to come up, just knock in case we are — in bed."

Oh Christ… this was an awkward moment! Edward's cheeky smirk was gone now and he looked painfully away. Bella was also glancing at her feet, her face pink all over. I did not need to think about the two of them doing it up there while I was under the same roof! I know that that sort of thing happens — and Mr and Mrs Cullen were a married couple — but I had witnessed my mother having intercourse more than I could count on my two hands. I didn't like having a mental picture of this activity in my mind — especially if I was expected to eat with these people.

"Uh… how about I let you go with the girls and you three can unpack and pick your beds and get to know each other a bit?" Esme said, after what seemed to be a long silence. I nodded and moved away from her, probably too quickly, but I was ready to find some solace from her constant touching. "Bella… Alice…. Please show Rosalie where everything is and make sure she gets settled, okay?"

"Yep! Yep!" Alice agreed and before I could protest she had my hand.

"Sure," Bella hummed from across the room and she hesitated for me to join her there.

Esme must have sensed my aversion for she squeezed me tightly into her chest and then held me out in front of her and told me softly, "We're all going to have a great summer. We want you to make yourself at home here. If you need anything or have any questions feel free to talk to anyone one of us, okay?" I nodded accordingly.

Alice was already tugging at my arm so I followed her towards the bedroom. I ripped my hand away from hers and slipped it into my shorts pocket. I let the two girls lead me through the first door on the right, not making any apologies for my sullen attitude.

"Uh… this is the bedroom," Bella mumbled.

"Are you sure about that?" I retorted just because her tone of voice didn't sound so sure. She looked back at me started, and her checks turned ripe red and nodded. I felt my eyes roll a bit. Alice was busy digging though a backpack, but I noticed that the card she had made me had managed to make its way from underneath the seat in the truck — where I had kicked it during the four-hour sing-along road trip — to the night table. I thought about screaming, like they do in horror movies when the dead come back in haunting, but I withheld the urge and stepped into the room a bit deeper.

The bedroom was a fair size. It had three beds in it. A set of bunk beds was on the left side, pushed up against the wall. Parallel from it was a lone, twin bed. In between the beds was a large night table with a few drawers and a lamp on top beside my welcome gift from Alice. There was also a large window, the only window in the room, in the space above the night table. Beside the door, to the left was a large dresser. On the right hand side there was a closet. On the ground… a round, fuzzy, pink rug.

There were bags on the single bed already. Bella went over and stood by them so I figured that was her bed. My bags were already placed in the middle of the room, waiting for me to do something with them. Alice had a stuffed dog in her arm and she hopped in front of me.

"Do you want top or bottom bunk?" she asked. "Usually I get both, but you can have your pick since you're the guest!"

I loathed climbing up and down every time I wanted in or out of bed. I preferred the bottom bunk, but that would mean I would be sleeping under Alice and I was not entirely sure I wanted that either. She looked like a fidgety, little shit. What I really wanted was the single bed.

"I dunno… I suppose the bottom bunk will do. You are trained, aren't you?" I asked Alice contemplatively. "I mean. You don't wet the bed or anything, right?"

"No!" Alice answered defensively; her face was all scrunched up, her nose in the air. I raised my hands up in surrender and smiled at her pleasantly.

"Just asking. I will take the bottom bunk, then. I guess…" I told her lowly and I bent down to open one of my bags to rummage through them slowly. I eyed the single bed and sighed heavily.

"Well, er… you could have this bed if you want it. I just can't sleep on the top bunk… 'cause I fell off a few times before," Bella mumbled from beside me. I looked directly at her and thought for a moment. What a loser! Then I smiled.

"Thank you, Bella. I would prefer the single and you can take the risk of sleeping under your sister." I didn't give her a chance to take her offer back. I could tell by her expression she had not expected me to take her up on it. I began to take a few items out of my one bag and immediately toss them on the single.

I had a small blanket that folded into a pillow that I really liked. It had been a gift from my neighbor and I never slept without it. It comforted me to have something of my own touching my face when I was in a stranger's bed. I placed it on the single and watched from my peripheral vision as Bella moved her stuff. She seemed to be surprised I took her bed.

"I don't wet the bed!" Alice enforced again, speaking out against the silence. I turned around and smiled at her as she climbed up to her bunk and sat on the top of the ladder, looking down on me with a slight scowl. She had a mouth on her. I could appreciate that quality in someone. I didn't respect doormats! That is why Bella was so fun to play with.

"Of course not, Allie. She was just…"

"I was just what?" I snapped at Bella, who was coddling her sister gently with her words. She froze and stared at me. I let my head tip to one side, but I didn't lose my eye contact with her. She looked down at the floor first.

"I — I don't know. Alice is nine, though, so she is not a little kid," Bella told me.

I smirked and looked back over to Alice. I felt my eyes roll. "You could have fooled me. She looks like a fuckin' kindergartner!"

"Hey!" Bella yelled at me. I turned back to her and saw she had a finger pointed at me and her face was flushed once more. So, she did have a trigger. Maybe she was not quite the doormat I was expecting. I was about to tell her to go take a hike, but behind her, in the doorway, Esme appeared.

She was completely unaware of the tension in the room since Bella's back was to the door. She barged merrily. "Are you girls being helpful getting Rosalie settled in? Did you all decide on who is sleeping where?" she inquired with a grin as she entered and pulled Bella into her. Bella sighed and nodded, but she kept her mouth shut. Good girl, I thought.

"Yes, Esme. Thank you," I replied politely. "They have been very helpful." Alice was staring down at me with narrowed eyes.

"Oh, good! Well, it is getting late and we should eat soon. The boys are out there starting a fire in the pit. I think you girls should hurry unpacking and then go on outside to make sure they don't burn down the place!"

"Okay, Mom," Bella and Alice both agreed in sync. Esme nodded slightly and backed out, but she turned around to add something.

"You might want to change into something warmer, dear. It is a bit nippy out there tonight."

When she left, Bella was still watching me intently. I smiled and got back to unpacking. I took the drawers in the nightstand as my own and hung up a few things in the closet. We all worked in silence except for the odd whisper between them deciding that the midget should get the bottom drawers. No shit! She can't even reach the top on of the dresser!

Finally, when I was done, one of them spoke to me.

"Um," Alice interrupted me as I was folding up the jacket I wore on the bus earlier. I looked up at her for her to continue speaking. "We're done."

Then Bella spoke in a hard tone, obviously still pissed off at me for what I said about her sister. "Do you want some help with your things?" I shook my head, no. "Do you want us to wait for you?" I shook my head again.

They were so quiet I turned to see if they had gone yet. Both girls literally backed out of the room, Alice giving me a faint smile before she turned from me. Bella was already out of sight. I spent more time unpacking then necessary. I was already relishing the alone time and I had only spent maybe five or six hours with these people. At one point I heard the others come in to wash their hands, but I pretended not to notice and I continued to fold and put away my items into the dresser drawers.

When I couldn't stall any longer I pulled myself together, slipped on a tight, purple hoodie over my tank top and short shorts and took off my hat and placed it in a drawer. I didn't really want to do a lot of laundry so I tried not to change more than once per day, but my jean jacket I wore earlier was not as warm as a sweater and the sun was setting on the other side of the lake. I combed my fingers through my hair a few times and then applied some fresh lip-gloss — which was probably a waste — and then headed outside to join the others.

They held back the questions and were surprisingly easy-going when I didn't show must interest in conversation. The most they offered regarding me as the newest addition was that they wanted me to make myself at home and think of myself as part of the family. I couldn't do that. I was sure they sensed how uncomfortable I was when they said that to me, but they didn't linger on the topic for long, thank God! I was starting to pick up on the vibe that this was not their family's first encounter with a foster kid invading their home. They seemed very relaxed about me being there and when someone spoke to me, they didn't pry. Mostly, they asked me general things about my likes and dislikes as they passed the food around.

Dinner consisted of roasted hot dogs, broccoli coleslaw — that was surprisingly tasty — and corn on the cob. I was not used to having such a rustic meal. Not once did Lily ever take me camping, and none of the foster homes I had lived in served meals outside. This was new and I was annoyed with the inconvenience of it. You can't eat a hot dog with a fork and knife very well, so I had to use my hands. I only ate one bite of it, though. I wish they had not served it to me. The corn was fine, but again… eating food with my hands was a piss off. I gave up on the cob too, but ate all my coleslaw. Then I placed my napkin over my plate to show I was finished.

There was a fire pit about twenty yards away from the cabin. Beside it was a gazebo-like structure with a long, picnic table underneath it where we were eating. I was hoping that not all the meals would be consumed outdoors. It was a short walk back to the cabin, but looked like a nuisance carrying everything outside and then back in again. I knew I had to help out some, but I was not really the 'chore' type of girl. I could take care of myself, but working as a team was not my strong suit and I knew it.

"Alright, when everyone is done eating, please help haul everything inside. Throw away the trash and place the dishes in the sink. I want you all to pick a buddy for chores for the next eight weeks. I will do the dishes tonight, but tomorrow night one pair of you will take over, okay?" Esme informed us all. I sighed lightly. I don't think anyone noticed.

"I call Jasper!" Alice shrieked and she held his hand up in the air like she had won a prize. She suddenly grew still and silent, only for a moment, and then she smacked Emmett's arm. "Don't!" She told him with a frown. Emmett, with his mouth full, gave her a confused shrug and then went back to eating. Alice narrowed her eyes and then whispered something to Jasper. No one seemed to notice her bipolar moment — perhaps they were used to the little freak!

Edward was sitting next to Bella on the other side of the picnic table. He looked at her and she looked at him and they nodded without saying one word to each other.

Emmett was sitting on the far right of the table, across from me, with Alice on the very end and he still had a little bit of mustard in the corner of his mouth and a little bit on his chin. He was staring at me with a cheeky grin on his face. Some of his shyness must be wearing off. "Looks like we are buddies then!" he told me cheerfully, crumpling his napkin up and putting it on his plate. "How about it?"

"That's fine," I replied, bored. "By the way… you have mustard on your face." He immediately snatched up his napkin again and roughly scrubbed around his mouth with it. Then he removed it and shot me a questioning glance so I informed him that he missed a spot.

Alice was laughing at him a bit and without looking at her he pushed her with one hand until she slid right off the bench. "Hey!" she screamed out as she landed on all fours, her hands ready before he even touched her. Edward was cracking up laughing and Bella looked over at Alice to check on her, but she was smiling too. Jasper had stood up and was glaring Emmett down as if looks could maim. Alice got up, brushed her hands off and sat back down. She shoved Emmett, but he didn't budge from her lightweight touch.

"Emmett," Esme sighed. "Please don't do that again. You could have hurt her."

"Naw! She's tough. It was just a joke," Emmett brushed it off. "Bet you saw that one coming. Didn't ya?" he asked Alice playfully. Alice put her hands on her hips. She then looked to her precious Mommy and Daddy for help.

"Don't do it again, Em," Carlisle replied as he stood up and cleared his plate. His stare stuck on his son's face for a long moment, his expression was serious, but not harsh. Emmett nodded accordingly and his father, satisfied with that response, left the table. Everyone began to load up plates to take inside.

I couldn't stop seeing the look of horror in Alice's face as she went head over heels off the picnic bench moments ago. I smiled — I couldn't help myself. I glanced up briefly and saw Emmett smiling back at me as he came around to my side to take my plate for me. He leaned down and handed me his napkin. "Would you mind?" he asked pointing to his face. My mouth fell open at his nerve. "After all, we are chore buddies now. Gotta help each other out, right?"

He closed his eyes and stuck out his jaw at me without giving much option. I was still for a moment and then looked around to see no one was at the table, most of them gone inside or were on their way, so I sighed and grabbed his face with my right hand, dipped the napkin in my cup of water and then I dabbed away the remaining yellow stain from his chin. He opened his eyes and smiled at me, setting me off.

"Pig!" I shouted and stood up swiftly. I released him with a shove. He fell to his ass and stared at me blankly for a brief moment. I threw his napkin at his chest and then turned and walked back to the cabin.

To Be Continued…

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_The title should have given you the hint... Rosalie is not a kitten, that is for sure. ;) _

_**How do you like Rose now that her personality is showing more? Who do you think will be the first to tell her off or reprimand her?**  
_

_**Any requests for illustration of a certain scene or moment that you have read so far and would like to see sketched out?** I can't draw everyone's request...so make sure if you have a suggestion you really sell it! ;) I will pick one and post it with next week's chapter. _

_Let me know what you think, please. _

_Coming up Next: Esme's insight on Rosalie's attitude and some of her other kids' as well. Also...Campfire time is chapter 7! Perhaps a little music, compliments of our talented, Eddy-pie too! Woot woot! Oh, Rosalie will just love that! ;D  
_

_**Thank you for reading. **_


	6. Chapter 6 Never Done

_Disclaimer: Obviously I am not Stephanie Meyer-- I am Marra, and I am only borrowing her characters for this fan fiction. Please don't sue me. _

_Thank you to RandomSugarRush for all your support. :)_

_Thank you to the kind reviewers, even the ones that I could not respond to. I will continue to post so long as you will read! :D  
_

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_**Thorns**

**Chapter Six  
**

"Do you think I should go check in on the girls? See if they need any help unpacking?" I asked worriedly. I had just put away the last of the dry foods we had hauled along with us to tie us over until I had time to get to the local grocery store. "I mean, they are good girls, but Bella is shy and Alice sometimes comes on a little..." Carlisle chuckled from beside me and I felt his hands around my waist from behind.

"Strong?" he finished my sentence for me. I nodded and he answered my earlier question. "I am sure they will be fine, dear. Why don't we give them a few more minutes? The car is emptied and the boys have unpacked already so the girls won't be far behind."

I laughed at my husband's reasoning to think the girls would be finished unpacking just because they boys were. I would bet my homemade cookies that if I went in the boys' room I would find their bags shoved under their beds or in the closet. They would live out of those bags until the clothes were dirty and they would, without a doubt, end up on the floor until they got washed and dried. Those boys seemed to have an aversion to using the hamper I set out in the linen closet for everyone to use. And of course, when I would ask them to fold and put away their clothes I knew I would still find them tangled up in drawers and at the bottom of the closet or under their beds. It was an ongoing cycle the boys had going when it came to keeping their things in order. I had learned over the years to accept this, thinking all children were the same.

It wasn't until we adopted Emmett, Bella, and Alice that I discovered the joys of having daughters who actually cared for a tidy living space. It did get messy from time to time with Alice's obsession to pick out the perfect outfit every morning, but they were both very good about straightening their room up if it got unbearable.

I laughed once more as I thought about how silly Carlisle was to believe the boys had put away their things. He had simply told them to "Go put your things away," without giving direct instructions that entailed them to transfer the items out of their bags and into drawers. Carlisle had somewhat missed my point. It was not that I didn't think the girls were capable of unpacking and doing a thorough job of it. I was certain that if Rosalie had more clothes like the ones she wore today, Alice would be all over her offering to help just so she could snoop through Rosalie's outfits.

I was not so sure how I felt about Rosalie wearing shorts that covered just enough to be considered outerwear. It was summer, but they seemed awfully low cut for a girl of her age. Clara had mentioned something about that to us when we had met with her about taking Rosalie for the summer. I was not too concerned about Bella being influenced; she was conservative. However, Alice was like a sponge that soaked up anything new and/or related to fashion. Also, I was a bit worried about the boys noticing Rosalie's barely there short shorts. I had noticed how Emmett was muddled by Rosalie's presence when they were introduced. He was acting like Carlisle had on our first official date after the accident — like a complete fool!

"You're laughing at me?" Carlisle broke my thoughts as he squeezed me playfully. I sighed and turned around, still in his arms. He was quite a bit taller than I was so I had to gaze upward to look at him. I loved how safe I felt trapped in his arms. He was smiling, oblivious to my true concerns.

"You are a great father…"

"Why do I sense a 'but' coming on?" he smiled and waited.

"It is just that…" I didn't want to hurt his feelings. "…you are a man." There I said it. How silly it sounded after the words came out.

"Yes. Yes, I am!" He took it as a compliment and smirked as he leaned into me. "And you are-"

"Hey, Dad!" Edward interrupted as he suddenly appeared out of breath. Carlisle and I both jumped away from each other's reach like we had just been caught doing something forbidden — how silly of us. Edward seemed to sense his intrusion, but carried on to say what he had come inside for. "Uh… you want to play ball with us?"

"Yes. Of course, son! I will be out in a minute," Carlisle told him, beaming with enthusiasm to be included. It always made me smile to see Carlisle interacting with the kids. And some things he was better suited for — like throwing around an inflated hunk of pigskin was certainly more up my husband's alley than mine. I mean… I would probably join in if they really wanted me to, but this was something I had no trouble letting the boys bond over.

"As you were," Edward said without making eye contact. He bowed out, running away in a hurry.

Carlisle laughed and pressed his lips to my brow, just above my nose and his warm breath made me tingle as he spoke. "Now... Where were we? Oh ya… I am a _man_!" The way he gruffed up his voice a bit has me beaming from ear to ear. "...and you are my lady." I had a feeling he was trying to quote from Celine Dion's song, _The Power of Love_, since he knew I was a sucker for love ballads, but I could help but giggle at the ridiculousness of his tone.

His head bent down further and he planted gentle kisses down the bridge of my nose till his lips reached my upper lip and he took mine between his and sucked a little. My knees nearly buckled. Oh good Lord, I wanted him! But we had a house full of kids and after my not so graceful ramble about our bed a while ago I didn't think it was wise to get too heated with Carlisle in case Rosalie needed anything and walked into the kitchen and found us making out like teenagers in a public arena. Carlisle liked to set good examples for the kids, but we couldn't always ignore our urges.

"I think I'd better go check in on the girls," I spoke into his parted lips. He snuck in a few more titillating kisses before he leaned away again. He understood. "You go play ball for a bit, but the fire should be started soon so we can have supper before it gets too late."

"Sure thing, hon. I will get the boys to help out," he told me and he let me go, his lips curled up slightly and his eyes lingered on mine. His hand slipped from mine gently and I watched him walk away. I wanted to be rid of our morals so I could pull him back for more. I wish it was nighttime and all the kids were in bed — sound asleep — then we could have continued that make out session upstairs in private.

Outside, the boys were chucking the football at each other roughly. I saw Carlisle jog up to them on the lawn. Then, Emmett tackled him from the side and they both went down in a tumble. I walked over to the window and shook my head a bit over the sight of their horseplay. It ended well enough, Emmett getting up first and reaching out a hand to help Carlisle to standing. Then they patted each other on the back in one of those man hugs guys typically do to show no hard feelings were intended. That was how guys took care of things. They simply confronted the other one, hugged it out, and moved on to the next event. No hard feelings.

I heard Bella's voice shout something sharply over the hum of noise from the boys outside and whipped my head to face the bedrooms. It was not often Bella raised her voice. She rarely fought with her siblings — though she occasionally got into spats with them when things did not go her way. I decided that this was one of those times where I should intervene — if only to break up what may or may not be going on and to prevent it from escalating.

When I walked up behind Bella, I could tell by the tension in her back she was on the defensive. I smiled and entered. "Are you girls being helpful getting Rosalie settled in? Did you all decide on who is sleeping where?" I asked lightly.

"Yes, Esme, thank you," Rosalie replied politely, but the way she eyed both my daughters with an icy calm proved it was forced. "They have been very helpful."

Alice, who was usually cheerful, even when she was feeling unwell, had an unfamiliar scowl on her lips. I was not one of those parents who tried to solve every last argument my children had with one another. I preferred to let them try to sort things out on their own first. Only if they persist, do I step in. So, regretfully, seeing Bella and Alice looking so miserable, I smiled and prepared to leave them.

"Oh, good! Well, it is getting late and we should eat soon. The boys are out there starting a fire in the pit. I think you girls should hurry unpacking and then go on outside to make sure they don't burn down the place!" I joked with them, but as girls I think we all understood I was partially serious about watching the fire because they boys were always trying to push boundaries and a fire was entirely too tempting for them to just sit and watch.

"Okay, Mom," Alice and Bella mumbled.

I went to leave, but quickly added for Rosalie's sake, "You might want to change into something warmer, dear. It is a bit nippy out there tonight." Rosalie didn't seem to be paying too much attention to me. Her eyes were glued on Bella. Then I turned to exit.

There was plenty to do in the kitchen to prepare food for our meal. Even something as simple as roasting hot dogs was made more complicated with a large family with different tastes. Ketchup only for Alice, mustard only for Jasper, Bella liked cheese on hers with some diced onions, Edward ate his with relish and mustard, and Emmett had the works. Then there was the issue of finding a bun that everyone could agree on. Condiments were one thing I didn't mind having more options of, but I was not about to buy four or five packages of bread to appease everyone. We had come to the conclusion that whole grain bread, without too many seeds ingrained in the crust was the way to go.

I had a whole tray of condiments and bread ready to go outside. I laid it to the side of the counter and prepared coleslaw. One rule we had was that the kids had to have a little bit of everything on their plates. That meant they would have to eat a little bit of salad, a little bit of vegetable, etc… even if we were having something like hot dogs for a meal. Carlisle and I tried our best to feed the children healthy foods, but we would treat them to saltier, sugary foods once in a while. You only live once, right? I had bought a few bars of Cadbury chocolate — Alice's favorite — and set them out with the graham crackers and marshmallows for later.

"Do you need any help?" Bella's soft voice hesitantly asked from behind me. I swirled around and agreed.

"Yes, darling, if you could start shucking the corn that would be wonderful. Thank you. Alice, I need you to go wipe down the picnic table and then put the tablecloth on it for me, please." I grabbed for the spritzer of lemon cleaner and an old rag and passed them to my youngest, who was eager to help as well. "The tablecloth is already on the picnic bench, dear."

"Okay, Mommy!" Alice sang and she sprinted out the door. Bella mulled over to the sink where I had the corn soaking and picked one up. I didn't mean to stare, but she was so caught up in her own thoughts she didn't notice me doing so. I wondered what had gone on that had upset her. I hoped it was just some misunderstanding that the girls would work out.

"Bella? Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, simply letting her know I was ready to listen if she wished. Bella shook her head. "All right. Rosalie is still unpacking, I presume?"

"Ya. We asked her if she needed help, but she said no."

"That's fine. Thank you for being so helpful, Bella. Your father and I truly appreciate your contributions that make this family run more smoothly. It does not go unnoticed," I told her. I hoped it would let her know that I understood how hard she was trying to welcome Rosalie into their room, into our family's home, for the summer. It could not be easy for any of the kids to have one more join our large family, though they had all been through similar transitions in their lifetime so I prayed they would try to make Rosalie feel welcome.

Bella continued to shuck the corn, her face was flushed from hearing my compliment, but she did not speak. I got back to work as well, chopping up broccoli for the coleslaw. I made the dressing from scratch and added it to the bowl of green and shook it up. Alice came back inside and was about to put the dirty rag on the counter along with the bottle of cleaner.

"Uh uh uh ah!" I warned her urgently, before she could complete that task. "The rag goes in the hamper in the hall. The bottle can go under the sink, please," I corrected her and she did as requested without a fuss. When she came back she reached out for me to hand her something else that needed to go outside. Bella was on the last cob of corn so I waited for it to be placed in the bowl she was using and I passed it over to Alice. "Give this to your father and tell him it is time to start roasting them."

Alice did as she was told and as she skipped out the door she shouted, "Daddy! Daddy! Time to cook the corn!" Where that child got all her energy from was a mystery to me. Perhaps the chocolate was not a bright idea on my part, but it was a smore essential. And I had promised smores.

"What now?" Bella inquired. Her hands gripped the counter so tightly her knuckles appeared white.

"I think we're set. You want to grab some plates and cutlery, please? And I will take out the salad and the napkins."

"Okay, Mom," she mumbled in reply. I stroked a clump of her thick, brown hair behind her back. It made my heart leap to hear her call me Mom. She had changed so much since she had first come to live with us.

Bella, being the eldest girl, acted as somewhat of a mother figure towards Emmett and Alice. She had opened up to me on a number of occasions when this characteristic had caused her some anxiety. It had to do with me taking the maternal lead in our home and she had been raised to take that lead. It was not a problem that she wanted to care for her siblings — or help out with the household upkeep — but Carlisle and I felt it was important she knew that was our job to take care of them and not the other way around.

Their mother had apparently been a little bit scatter-brained when it came to caring for a household, as Emmett recalls. This was a long time ago, for she died when Alice was born. Bella had only been four at the time, Emmett, seven. Then their father was gone three years later, after a long battle with Leukemia, sending them all to live in a number of makeshift homes. They lived briefly with their only grandparent until she was deemed too elderly to care for three young kids. She passed on a year after our adoption was made final. We had all grown quite fond of Nana Swan in that short time we had gotten to know her — even Jasper and Edward took to calling her by that name. Her death had been sad for us all.

Alice doesn't seem to have a very good recollection of her time spent in homes prior to living with us. We are not sure why, but she doesn't seem to recall her father at all. I know it makes Bella upset when Alice can't remember him or other events they had gone through together. Carlisle believes that Alice has repressed her earliest memories due to stress and instability, and there was little we could do except talk with her and try to stir up some of those memories hoping to bring them to the surface.

Bella constantly reminded Alice of their mother, father and Nana, which we encouraged her to do. She acted very maternally towards Alice, and for good reason.

Bella had been in charge of cooking and cleaning as a young child, though her father was no slave driver — as she pointedly reassured me when the topic came up. And, of course, Nana Swan didn't cook or clean much at her age so Bella took care of that aspect when they lived with their grandmother as well. After leaving their grandmother's home, the trio went into foster care and spent a great deal of time in a few foster homes with families that were not as willing to allow the kids to visit their aging grandmother as we had been. I know that must have been horrible for them all to endure — the loss of both parents and then to be taken away from their Nana. Bella's selfless nature made her an easy target for some of these foster parents to turn her into a cook, maid, and nanny to the household.

In the first months of having Bella in our home, she had a hard time working with me. She was so worried that if she didn't make the meals that they might not get made at all — a side effect from having too much expected of her at such a young age. You could see the tension in Bella's posture when she was declined a chance to be useful. Usually, I would have to coerce to get the kids to do their chores or clean their rooms. It was a strange thing for Carlisle and I having to demand Bella lay off the chores and have some fun. She was easy enough to persuade into relaxing if a certain someone was playing piano and she had a good book to read, however.

"Edward brought his guitar, right?" she suddenly asked.

"Yes. I saw him bring it in from the truck. It's around here somewhere."

"Can I go outside and help Car—er… Dad with the corn?" She asked.

"Sure, sweetie. Your father needs all the help he can get!" I teased. Bella's face broke into a small smile and she agreed. We all knew that Carlisle was not the greatest cook in the world. When he made dinner it would most likely be one of three things — sandwiches, spaghetti, or steak. I had to give it to him… he did know how to BBQ up a damn fine tender loin… thanks to my guidance and preparation, of course.

Bella set off on her way and I wiped down the counters quickly and followed after her. I noticed Rosalie was still shuffling around in the girl's room, but I didn't want to crowd her. She was feeling overwhelmed by the events of her day, no doubt. She had traveled for hours before she met with us — she must be quite tired as well. I left her in peace so she could come to us when she was ready.

"Ow! Shoot! Oh, crap!" I heard Bella struggling to flip the corn over the fire with a long fork as I walked up to join the family. She had just managed to roll one off the rack and into the fire. Sparks flew up around her and I couldn't help but grimace. Edward was by her side before I could step in to offer my assistance.

"No, Bella. Here, let me!"

"Get away, Edward. I can do it!"

"You will burn yourself!"

"I will not!"

"Come on. Just let me get them," Edward insisted, taking the fork from her hand and prying it away.

"Argh!" Bella groaned and she threw her hands down in haste. She brushed by Edward and slumped down at the table and turned away from him as he finished flipping the cobs with ease. I rubbed her back soothingly, knowing she hated to be coddled, but I was the mom and I hoped all the kids knew that it was my right — just as it was my right to tell them to go wash their hands for dinner.

"Aw, but my hands are clean," Jasper argued with me. I raised my eyebrows, not willing to repeat myself. Jasper sighed and hung his head. His long, blonde hair — too long, really — fell forward in his face. It was getting ridiculous, but he refused to get a haircut with the other boys a few weeks ago. He said he liked it this way, but how anyone would like to have hair falling in his or her eyes was beyond me. I think, but don't know for sure, that he wanted to hide the scar that split his right eyebrow in two. He was so ashamed of where he came from, my sweet Jazz. We were so proud of him — and we told him all the time — but I wish I could take away the pain he suffered at the hands of _those _people.

I didn't want to think about _them_ now — it was not a time to dwell on the past. I instinctively fingered the hair hanging in his eyes to go behind his ears and kissed his forehead. He feigned embarrassment in case his brothers were watching and scurried off to do as he was told.

I had a habit of touching my kid's hair when I talked to them. The boys hated it, but I did it anyway. I adored them all so much it was just one of the ways I reached out to them. Alice seemed to be okay with my compulsion. She loved it when I played with her hair and sometimes when she had one of her 'episodes' it was the only way I could calm her down afterward. As much as my affection embarrassed the kids at certain time, none of them pushed me away.

"Can we have pop with dinner?"

I turned to find Alice gazing up at me with her huge pleading eyes. I shook my head. "Sorry, you know the rules. Only milk or water with dinner," I told her. She puckered her bottom lip out and slid into a seat on the end of the picnic table. Emmett hopped in next to her. The others were all back from washing their hands now. I wondered what Rosalie was up to. Surly she had heard the others go inside to wash up.

"Did any of you tell Rosalie it was time for supper?"

"She is coming, Mommy," Alice told me. "…in just a minute. She is changing her top." She had not really answered my question, but Alice was usually spot-on if she made a statement like that.

"So, new girl seems… nice!" Emmett blurted out, not even making an effort to hush his loud voice. Bella sighed loudly, making Carlisle and Edward take notice.

"Now, everyone listen up," Carlisle began, leaning in and toning his voice down discretely. "I realize you are all curious to know more about Rosalie and you will have questions for her, but not too many, please. Tonight is probably daunting for her to be amongst our large, boisterous family — please remember that she has had a long day and that she will not likely be comfortable spilling her life stories with you right away. Keep that in mind, okay guys?"

"Okay, Dad."

"Yep."

"Ya."

"Here she comes!" Alice squeaked. I felt like slapping my palm to my forehead, as all the kids — except Bella — not so subtly turned to watch the cabin door. I tried to resist, but after a very long ten seconds I swiveled around to watch Rosalie approach, short shorts still on, but now she had longer sweater over top of her tank top. It was a little less revealing, but Emmett was smiling approvingly. She sat down at the end of picnic table diagonally across from him.

Rosalie was not as shy as I would have expected. She held her head up and she made eye contact when she spoke to someone. She didn't tap a foot or wring her hands when she was speaking. I couldn't believe how honestly she answered all of Alice's innocent questions about favorites, likes, and dislikes — though, she didn't offer anything more than to simply reply to them.

She picked at her hot dog, only talking a few small bites from one end. She barely touched her corn either, but ate all of the broccoli coleslaw she had on her plate and drank two full glasses of water like she was dying of thirst.

"Rosalie," I said her name gently. She looked at me, but also checked out who else was listening in. "I just wanted to welcome you to the family again, officially. We are all very glad you came to join us and we hope you will make yourself feel welcome."

"Thanks," she replied. That was all. She then pushed her food around once more before placing her napkin over her plate.

It soon was time to clean up and I had forgotten to mention the layout of the chores. We were not overly strict, but Carlisle and I insisted the kids helped out to make things run a bit smoother. I did a fair bit of the cooking, with Bella's help, and I enjoyed doing the laundry. However, I was not a maid to my family — we all chipped in.

"Alright, when everyone is done eating, please help haul everything inside. Throw away the trash and place the dishes in the sink. I want you all to pick a buddy for chores for the next eight weeks. I will do the dishes tonight, but tomorrow night one pair of you will take over, okay?"

Rosalie didn't seem too impressed with this announcement. I knew it was difficult to be the new kid, but Rosalie would have to pull her weight. This was not a vacation.

"I call Jasper!" Alice readily agreed, followed by something else I didn't catch because I was busy stacking glasses.

"Looks like we are buddies then!" Emmett told Rosalie loudly. "How about it?"

"That's fine," she said rather haughtily. Then she added, "by the way… you have mustard on your face." Emmett, untouched by her tone, attempted to wipe his face. "You missed a spot," she informed him again a moment later.

Alice laughed out loud at her brother, until he pushed her swiftly from his side. She toppled to the ground, but with her hands ready to catch her fall. "Hey!" she yelped. She was up in a flash and she pushed her brother weakly.

"Emmett," I scolded softly. "Please don't do that again. You could have hurt her."

"Naw! She's tough. It was just a joke. Bet you saw that one coming. Didn't ya?" he said to Alice. Her eyes met mine immediately and then she went to her father for support.

"Don't do it again, Em," Carlisle reprimanded. I nodded and made sure Emmett understood. He agreed to the terms and the issue was dropped. I began to take a load of glasses into the kitchen; the kids were all helping to clear the table as well. Alice was all smiles again, skipping along beside Jasper, chatting away to him as he listened without saying one word.

I was inside, putting the dishes in hot, soapy water — no dishwasher — when I happened to look up and out the window towards the picnic table where Rosalie and Emmett were.

Emmett was sprawled out on the ground, dazed and confused, as Rosalie made her way up the porch steps and through the door in haste. She didn't say a word; she didn't stop until we heard the bathroom door shut forcefully. My mouth hung open a bit, but none of the kids appeared to notice. Carlisle was too preoccupied with trying to get the broken garburator to work, though it never had really been a functioning apparatus in our summer home since he installed it himself six years ago, so he hadn't witnessed it either.

Emmett made his way inside with his and Rosalie's dishes.

"What happened?" I asked him quietly.

He knew immediately what I was referring to and he shrugged. "It was my fault, I guess. I asked her to wipe the mustard off my face and she did… but then she got mad and pushed me down."

"_She_ pushed you down?" I asked incredulously. How could an average sized — not too thin, but definitely lean — fourteen-year-old girl manage to knock Emmett over? He was the star of his school's football and rugby teams! I am sure Em's brothers would have laughed if they were listening. Thank goodness this was not the case — we didn't want to draw attention to the situation for the sake of Rosalie's privacy.

"I don't think she likes me very much." Emmett sighed and shook his head of bouncy, black curls and he dumped the remains of Rosalie's meal into the garbage and then passed the plate back to me.

Well, I was sure that was not the case. This was classic, girl/boy playground behavior. Sometimes a little shove says, "I like you, but don't tell anyone!" I was sure that was what happened. Rosalie didn't strike me as being violent…though, obviously she had a temper.

"Give her some space tonight, hon; it has been a long day for her. Perhaps you can apologize tomorrow and explain yourself. She doesn't know you yet, Em. We all know you like to play around, but she doesn't."

"Ya, Mom. Okay," he agreed, somberly. Emmett put his foot in his mouth daily, but his heart was pure. He was very playful and outgoing, perhaps he had startled Rosalie with how forward he had behaved. He would never intentionally hurt anyone's feelings. He looked like a big, burly bear, but he was sweet like honey on the inside.

"Could you go watch the fire, while your father and I are inside? Make sure everyone stays safe, please."

"Yes, Mom."

"Thanks, hon," I told him and I placed my hand on his arm and gave it a sympathetic squeeze before he took off. I wished I could give him a better idea of why Rosalie was so wary of him, but I was still not entirely sure myself.

The others followed him out, Bella hinting to Edward that he should bring his guitar so he obliged, Alice ran in and out of the house gathering smore ingredients, and Carlisle continued to mutter mild indecencies under his breath at the garburator. It was always getting caught up on the food peels and jamming up and burning out. I wished he would give it up. He was a brilliant man, but he was better off healing human beings and not trying to fix household appliances.

I scrubbed the dishes in the sink and then rinsed them well and placed them on the rack to dry. Carlisle emerged from under the sink looking defeated. "I think I am done. No more! We can compost the peelings!" he told me with a laugh. I could not joke back. My mind was elsewhere — on Rosalie, now pent up in the bathroom. It had been quite a while since she had stormed in there.

"Should I go check on her?" I whispered to Carlisle, biting my lip sheepishly. He smiled mildly and took my hand.

"Perhaps we give her a few more minutes... let her come to us. If she is not out in ten minutes then one of us will check in on her," he suggested as he tugged at my hand.

I let him lead me out the door of the cabin, thankful for his leadership. I didn't want to crowd her, after all — not after we had told the kids to give her space. Though, as a mother, I was worried about her. She was more troubled than she let on.

To Be Continued….

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_** What do you think about Esme's senses when it comes to her children? She is the typical mother with eyes everywhere, right?** Hehehe! _

_Coming up next in chapter 7 (2 weeks* from today): Rosalie faces her worst nightmares, in more way than one. It is family bonding time around the campfire with Edward playing classical guitar. :S Dun dun dun..._ Also,** chapter 7 is rated M** for some pretty harsh subject matter. I won't be changing the rating at that time, but this is a warning to take precaution in case you are sensitive. I don't think I go into enough detail to make this story rated M. Still...heads up! :D

_There is a new illustration (not one of my best since I can't seem to draw people as a whole in action) in my deviantart gallery of Rosalie's shove on Emmett. I realized after I drew it that he is checking out her ass as she walks away, but that was purely accidental on my part. ;) If you care to view the sketch the link it on my profile. :D Thank you to RosalieLillianHale1933 for her request. _

_*Next week there will not be a chapter as I have a busy week ahead and I am getting behind in my writing. I have up to chapter 10 complete--so no worries, there is more coming soon-- but because I posted 5 chapters in 5 weeks, but only wrote three in that time I am slowly losing my lead and I need it for my beta's sake. So...next week: No Update, BUT...there will be some new drawings of Bella and/or Edward in my Gallery and I will take the time to give some previews (not the same as the one you will get in a review response) of upcoming chapters in my deviantart journal. :) So check it all out if you care to. If not...._

**_Thank you for reading._**


	7. Chapter 7 There's a Reason

**_*_**_Note- **WARNING**: underage sexual abuse and rape topics in this chapter. Nothing too graphic, but if you are sensitive to this, please don't read...I have decided to rate this story T/M. There will be no graphic sex scenes, but the theme is a tense one, so just beware if you are very sensitive. This is your final heads up!_

_As usual, thank you to RandomSugarRush for her contribution to the story. :)_

_Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer-duh- I am Marra, and I am only borrowing her characters for this fan fiction. Please don't sue me._

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**Thorns**

**Chapter Seven  
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I suppose I was acting rather rudely. If they truly meant for me to "be a part of the family" like they said, then hiding in the bathroom while they worked as a team to tidy up the kitchen was not acceptable behavior.

_They wouldn't care, would they? They could look passed my flaws, right?_

I read somewhere that families were built on a foundation of trust, forgiveness, and unconditional love. I did not belong to them, however — we weren't family. This placement was temporary so they probably would not treat me equally. I didn't mean to be so rude, but I just _had_ to get away from that boy or I would lose my temper in front of all of them!

He had brazenly asked me to wipe his face for him. How could something so simple make me feel so torn up inside? It was a rather bold move for a boy, who couldn't string two sentences together when we first met, to do. I was a bit confused by his intentions. I was used to catcalls, winks, and raunchy stares from guys of all ages, but Emmett had not done any of that. It was irrational to be so ruffled by what happened at the table outside, but Emmett had made me feel vulnerable for the first time since the incident at Vera's. I was surprised to feel like this, but there was no way I would let my vulnerability show. I had to remain strong.

That is why I had locked myself in the bathroom...because the bedroom had no lock. _Imagine that! Stupid people with their trust and love bullshit! Didn't they know that every door needs a lock_? So, I had stormed by everyone and used the bathroom as my excuse to not help with clean up and now I was sitting on the counter, between two matching sinks, with my knees tight to my chest. I looked at the wall clock and sighed. It had been nearly seven minutes since I locked myself inside. No toilets had been flushed, no taps had been run and I had wet knees from silently letting my emotions get the better of me. I had not planned this out very well…

I didn't want to draw too much attention to myself, so I let my legs loose from my tight grasp and slithered off the counter gently to the floor. I saw my face in the mirror and wanted to smack it. My eyeliner had smudged and I looked ridiculous. I turned on the tap and splashed a tiny bit of water on my face and then carefully wiped the smudges away with a tissue. When I was done, and there was nothing more to do to better my appearance, I tossed the tissue in the toilet and flushed. Better late then never.

I ran the taps again for a few seconds for good measure before turning them off and glancing once more in the mirror. I had to go back out there and my eyes had that glossy look to them that might give me away, but I had no other choice. I took a deep breath and headed out of the bathroom. We were apparently going to sit by the fire and roast marshmallows, so hopefully no one would notice my tired eyes.

The main floor of the cabin was quiet and empty. Only the one light above the kitchen sink had been left on — probably so I could find my way around without running into things. I could see the orange flicker of the campfire through the window as I made my way to the door. I paused and looked back at the first door on the right — my bedroom for the next several weeks — and contemplated going to bed. I didn't want to walk out there and face them — especially if Emmett was going to be there.

But there was no way around it. If I didn't go out there, one of them was sure to come find me and it would cause a scene. I pushed the door handle down with my thumb and pulled the door open. I would just have to go do the whole family bonfire thing and try to stomach the family bonding that was going on. I nearly fell over when I got close enough to notice Edward had a guitar resting on his knee. He was strumming _Greensleeves_ on it as the others were talking amongst themselves. _Good Lord… he is playing Greensleeves, for crying out loud! Could this family be any more cheesy?_

"Rosalie! Come sit by me, dear," Esme insisted as I made my way across the lawn towards them all. She held her arm out towards me expectantly so I did as she said, but sat with a good distance between us. Once seated, she put her arm around me and pulled me closer. I grit my teeth and bared it.

Alice, obviously over the whole bed wetting insinuation, was at it again before I could take my first breath. She was still hugging an atrociously ugly, orange stuffed dog with brown floppy ears. It was grungy from wear… like it probably carried diseases from being dragged around. _Whatever this family has that makes them so chipper, I hope it is not contagious._

"Here, Rosie! I got you a really nice stick for roasting," Alice said to me, practically whacking me in the eye with something. I covered my face protectively and leaned back as the stick met my open hand. Alice giggled. "You want one marshmallow or two?"

"Uh…" I thought, feeling more than one pair of eyes on me. "No thank you. I am not hungry." I was not about to eat pure sugar before bed. I knew enough about nutrition to know that sugar would turn to fat and be stored in my body if my metabolism was low. I had been sitting on my ass all day in vehicles so there was no way I was going to allow myself pure sugar at this time of night.

Lily had taught me how to ration my eating habits so I would not get fat. She had always been an attractive looking woman and she wanted me to have the same advantages she had. I know that some call that sort of thinking superficial — that I would care so much about what I look like — but I saw how people with more weight got treated… like they didn't exist. I wanted everyone to know who I was! It was only a matter of time until I could be emancipated from the state's custody. And if that doesn't work out I could wait until I was eighteen to get into modeling.

"Oh, come on! You have to have one. Do you want me to make you one? Do you want just a marshmallow, or a whole smore? Mom bought the good chocolate and everything!" Alice rambled on and on. My breath caught as I held back my urge to snap at her. I saw Emmett watching me with a smirk from the other side of the fire pit. Bella was curiously eyeing me as well.

I shook my head and gave Alice the stick back. "No. Thank you," I repeated myself forcefully.

"But-"

"Alice!" Emmett's loud voice boomed over Alice's tiny one. "Leave her alone, would ya? She doesn't want any!"

"But it is her welcome bonfire. She should have one too — they're yummy!"

"Alice!" Carlisle interceded finally. He didn't look too upset with her — I am guessing this is not unusual behavior for her — but he fingered her toward him sternly and she went to him with her head hung. When she was directly in front of him, he spoke. "I know you mean well, but you need to listen to what Rosalie was saying to you." Then he tapped beside him on the log seat.

"Okay," she peeped sadly. She took her seat next to him and quietly stuck her stick and marshmallow into the fire. Her sad eyes sparkled with flecks of orange as she took one last peek at me. There was an uncomfortable silence lingering over us all.

_Well, Shit!_ I was certainly ruining this family's camp out and I had not even been with them one whole night. I had a feeling I was not going to last a whole summer with the Cullens. I could tell they knew things about me that they had no business knowing and they probably were not comfortable having me join their perfect family, but they were too kind to let me spend my vacation in a group home. Clara probably told them all about my so-called lies. I hated that my story was being told to them without my influence. Clara was fairly considerate and would not purposely mislead them, but she might not tell them the truth either.

I doubt they would believe me if I told them what happened, anyway. I was a lost cause. I had make too many mistakes — pissed too many people off — along the way.

"So, Rosalie…" Esme jolted me away from my negative stewing. I faced her and waited for Esme to continue. "We were talking about going on a short hike tomorrow. There are some nice trails around the lake. One of them leads to a very nice picnic area on a private beach. Are you feeling up to that?"

_Do I have a choice?_ I wish I could have actually said that rather then think it. Her question was just a way to warm me up to the idea. It was rhetorical and pointless to say how I really felt — I knew that. So, I nodded.

"Great! It will be fun. You'll see."

Bella groaned — or made a sound of some sort that got everyone laughing — and Edward stopped picking and patted her on the back. I think I was missing something. Yet, the music started up again and no one explained what was so amusing about Bella's plight. I had to just believe I had been spot on about her — she was a weakling. She probably has no idea what it takes to survive in this world.

"Now, I meant to ask you earlier, before dinner, but it slipped my mind at the time…" Esme smiled pleasantly and then continued speaking directly to me. I waited for her to get to the question part, shaking off my resentment. I hoped it was an actual question this time. "You don't have any allergies we should know about, do you?"

_Oh._ That had not been the kind of inquiry I was expecting. I shook my head. I wish I could have lied and told them I was allergic to hiking.

"Food allergies? Dust?"

"Medications?" Carlisle included eagerly. I flinched involuntarily. He noticed my reaction and relaxed his posture and smiled at me, encouraging me to reply.

"I — I don't know," I shrugged, confused by their interest, and shook my head instinctively.

I had never had any reaction to foods that I could think of, though there were certain ones I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. As far as allergies went, I remember one spring for a few weeks I was itching and sneezed a lot — nothing too serious — and that had passed as the season had. I only took medication a few times that I could recall and never had any trouble with that. I hadn't been to a doctor in years. How was I supposed to know if I was allergic to anything? "I don't think so," I added, not sure what more to say as they waited for me to finish speaking. No one had ever asked me anything about my health before.

"We just wanted to check with you for safety's sake-so I don't feed you something deadly by mistake," Esme explained with a little giggle.

_Lord, help me! This woman is going to kill me, isn't she?_

Okay, that was a silly thought, but I couldn't help feel slightly uneasy in this all too perfect La-La Land set up. We were sitting around a fire, chatting and roasting marshmallows, as Edward strummed lightly on his trusty guitar. This was how horror movies began!

Regardless of how I was feeling, they all seemed to be enjoying themselves — eating their smores and laughing as Bella's marshmallow got stuck in her hair and a glob of it landed on Edward's shoe. Carlisle asked me about my hobbies and interests. He didn't push too much when I came out with nothing much to say. I was not shy, that was for sure, but it was awkward to answer these things in front of their whole family. It seemed like every time I opened my mouth the music stopped and if it weren't for my voice, crickets would have filled the silence. I tried to be polite, but after a while I was exhausted from spitting out generic replies to all the generic questions they had for me.

I had so much more to say, but it was all the things I could not tell them.

"I'm really tired. May I please be excused?" I asked suddenly, as soon as there was an open moment to do so. I knew all eyes were on me. I didn't care if I sounded rude. For my own sanity, I needed to escape.

"Sure, sweetheart. Do you want me to go with you and get you settled in for the night?" Esme asked me sweetly with a grand smile. My eyes narrowed in disbelief as I shook my head and stood up. Her lighted face seemed to dim a bit and she looked down at her hands.

_Am I that awful? Was she so needy that my refusal had upset her?_ I didn't understand her reaction at all.

"No, thank you," I mumbled too late and then I left the group. There was no music to accompany my walk back inside.

* * *

I literally sprinted to get into bed. I washed my face and brushed my teeth so fast the job was practically pointless. I changed so fast you'd think it was some sort of race. I didn't bother with reading before bed or even attempting to relax into the transition — I just crawled in under the sheets and pulled my favorite blanket up to my face and hugged it tightly as I rolled onto my side and into the wall. The blanket didn't smell of her home anymore, but I could see her face vividly the day she had given it to me. I didn't speak her name. It still hurt — just like I could not bear to talk about Henry. Thinking about Henry made my eyes burn.

I was having a bad evening. I felt the warm tickle of tears run down my cheeks and over my nose. This was the second time I had let myself cry and I hated myself for it. _Why couldn't I just let it go?_ I was a stupid girl!

In spite of the fact that I wanted to escape the Cullen family bonfire consisting of all things good and pure, I really was tired. It was unfortunate that my slumber would not prove to be a restful one. Not when my mind was already filled with such potent memories. It was all too easy for me to slip into remembrances of my mother and the day I knew I needed to get away from her. It was a few years ago, but I had not forgotten one detail.

One night, Lily's latest pet, Royce King, had gotten a little bit too comfortable in our home — the pair of them had been drinking — when he decided he deserved a little _extra_ for his money. Lily never let men have their way with me, not completely anyway, but he insisted he get special privileges since he was a regular. I guess she thought it was a joke so she let him _play _with me like usual, turning away when he began to rub all over me.

Usually, Lily encouraged me to sit on their laps — some of them, the ones she knew better and trusted more — and talk to them sweetly. Those men seemed to like receiving such adoring attention from a pretty little girl. I would tell stories or sing for them. It was never sexual — for me — but I suppose some of them liked my soft skin and the way my hair smelled like cotton candy. I was like a doll to them.

Occasionally, a few of these men stepped over the line, but Lily was always there to take their attention away from me so I could retreat to my room while she took over. She had protected me — _somewhat_. I didn't know she was using me at that time. She was my mother and I had trusted her.

But Royce always went too far with me, even when Lily was around. That is how I began to suspect that my mother was not as trustworthy as she proclaimed to be.

That night, he was feeling confident and sure of my mother's commitment to him, so he didn't stop at just holding me in his lap as I sung softly into his ear. I tried to tell him he was being too rough when his hands chaffed my inner thigh, but he didn't seem to hear me. It was nothing that had not happened to me before, so I was only minimally concerned with the kisses and his hands reaching where they oughtn't. I thought I could make him stop whenever — since I was used to holding that power — but he had begun to tug at the waist of my jeans and the first button popped open too easily. That is when I knew I was in real trouble.

I panicked and pulled back.

"Where do you think you're going, little lady?" he asked me, gripping my wrist and pulling my leg back over his lap with his other hand.

"I need to check on the stove," I told him. It was true that we had potatoes boiling that needed checking, but he didn't care. He only held me tighter and kissed me harder as I tried to break free from his grasp. "Please?" The word was desperate. It sounded like begging, something Lily told me never to do.

"Never show fear," she had told me time and time again.

But I was scared. Royce was stronger than me and he was not letting go.

"I really need to-"

"No!" Royce spat in my face. "You _need_ to take care of my needs! That is your job, isn't it?"

I was at a loss for words. His eyes were so cold, like clear glass in their pale blueness. His white blonde hair was glistening from the lamplight streaming in through the window. I thought to yell for help, but Lily would not want me to draw attention to us. It was one of her rules. We had to keep a low profile of her illegal occupation.

"Well? ISN'T IT?" he asked me again, screaming in my face so hard my ears ached. I looked around the room for Lily. I couldn't see her, but I thought she would come help me when she heard Royce yelling at me.

She never came.

"You are paying Lily, not me," I whispered meekly, forcing a coy smile on my lips that didn't last very long when he didn't back down his advances.

I was not sure if Royce was still paying Lily for her services anymore or not. She had him over a often and she kept calling him her fiancé so maybe he was welcome to her anytime — free of charge — but that did not mean I was worthless too!

I was terrified and praying internally he would release me and go find my mother. "This is not my job." I was practically crying, but I dare not let the tears escape me. Lily told me that crying never solved anything; it only blurred your vision and made a situation worse.

He smiled at me. "I thought it was a package deal. You know — a kind of two for one?" He was teasing me then, tightening his hold on me, pulling me closer into him, his hands were keeping me firmly pressed against him.

The few-day-old stubble on his face was rubbing my face raw and it burned hot. I closed my eyes and tried to relax so he might loosen his grip. His one hand was fiddling with my jean zipper and he seemed aggravated, like he was having trouble with it. The other hand was in my shirt. He rubbed my chest roughly with his calloused hands. The sensation made me feel sick to my stomach and I hoped I would not throw up on him.

I cried out... but he didn't stop! My fear seemed to spur him on and he hastily tore at my jeans to pull them off me. I was at his mercy, begging him to please let me go. He was so much stronger than I was. This was dangerous. _How had it taken me eleven years to figure that part out?_

Royce pinned me between his chest and the armrest of the couch, holding my hands together because I had tried to push him away. With one hand, he pinched my two small hands together and with his other he reached down and slipped his hand under the waistband of my panties.

I was crying, whispering, pleading for him to stop, but he was whispering too. Hushing me softly, almost caringly, but he was so cruel. His hand slipped down deeper and I wriggled and kneed him in the leg. He snarled and slapped my face. I began to hit him back, since my hands were free from his at that time, but I could tell he was not deterred by my pathetic attempt to fight him off.

If it had not been for my mother's timing — she was drunk out of reasoning and didn't seem to notice he was fondling me — I have no doubt the abuse would have continued and he would have raped me that night.

She did put a stop to it, but to be thankful to her would not be the sentiment I would use to recall that moment. It had been an accident she interrupted.

Lily walked into the room just in time. I still, to this day, don't know where she had been for so long while Royce had me pinned under him. She stumbled drunkenly into the end table and knocked over a lamp. I was elated when Royce drew his attention back to her for a moment because his hands stopped moving. Lily stared at me. Rage filled her face and I had hope again. I knew better than to beg, but my eyes were pleading for her to save me. She had told me once — when I had been afraid to sleep with one particular client in the same house — that she would take care of me and protect me from them so I would always be safe. I was trying to call in that favor that night.

It was too bad she was drunk, or Lily might have remembered her promise, because she didn't seem to think anything wrong of Royce's treatment of me. She was annoyed with us, in fact.

"You little whore!" she spit at me, spilling her vodka a little as she staggered over to us on the sofa. Royce was smiling as if he took some great pleasure in watching her berate me and call me a whore. I realize now that she had been jealous, but at the time I was hurt, confused, and frightened for my safety.

I survived that night, though, that was what was important...

Royce was turned on by my mother's jealousy and he moved over to her, telling me that he'd "take care of me some other night," but I was not about to let that happen! Lily had told me before, "to be in charge and to always take care of number one first." Of all the lessons she taught me, this one stuck out as most important. I am sure she never thought I would take her words to heart, but I did. I would always be the one in charge. I didn't like to take shit from anyone! Royce would not win this war!

I waited a few days for things to calm down. I stole some of our money from my mother's bottom drawer. She used to refer to it as "our money," – when she was sober anyway — and packed up my clothes into a bag and I took off.

I managed to get away from that incident with only a friction rash from where his face rubbed against my own skin. I had the rash from my lips, down past my collarbone. I was lucky to have gotten away with only that as a warning of how dangerous my world had been. It was too bad I had waited so long to run away. When I finally gave in and confessed my story, the evidence was completely washed away. Royce and my mother got away with everything and I looked like the spoiled child who had run away from home because Mom had a new fiancé I didn't like.

I was still frightened that the pair of them would come back for me now. I had found out through Clara that they did end up getting married. Royce was a businessman – owned a bank or something — and so Lily must have stopped running her business to be a rich man's wife. It was a dream come true for her. For me, it marked the end of my childhood.

Clara had been in contact with Lily after that incident… a few months afterward, in fact. Lily had turned on me, saying I had been out of control and overly promiscuous and she was done trying to teach me manners.

I have always been a feisty child so I fought and told my story to Clara and the police. I had been told how important it is to not hide from the past. I didn't believe that anymore...

The police went to their new house in Manhattan to question her and Royce a few times about my claims, but found nothing that proved my account of what happened to me that night. Lily tried to get me back once — pleading for me to see reason and to come home — but I screamed bloody murder until she stepped back and let me go. I chose the system over my own mother, and she chose a man over her own daughter. With no proof of her past business — no man she slept with would ever come out and admit it — my accusations were useless. Lily signed away her rights to me and I became a ward of the state.

She never came after me again. They didn't want me drawing negative attention to Royce's good name, after all. He would not tolerate my lies, apparently.

They were not lies...but only I knew that. I could still see him on top of me when I closed my eyes. I could feel his hot breath on my neck and his hands ripping at my clothing and running over my skin — the eerie way he was so calm in his pursuit it made the nightmare more frightening. I felt alone and hopeless when I would come out of these waking dreams and nightmares. The memories never did fade with time like I had hoped they would. They were supposed to go away.

_So, why was he still tormenting me?_ He didn't do anything. Not really. I got lucky. I got away! _Right?_

Yet, still… almost every night… I dreamt of him. Before Royce, I never gave a second thought to one of my mother's touchy-feely clients. I was used to a man's wandering hand from time to time. In Lily's business it was bound to happen. Royce had not touched me more than some others had tried. Somehow, though, Royce was different. He had been the one who tore down my walls and left me exposed in this cruel world. He had come so close.

Now I was exposed and alone. I wondered how much Clara had told the Cullens about me. _Did they know? Do they think I am a liar too? _I was sure they would not take my side. There was no proof — and I was a rude, petulant, ungrateful runaway. _Who would want to trust the words I spoke?_ No, I could not expect the Cullens to understand me.

I couldn't trust them either.

* * *

I woke with a jolt that sent me hunching over my knees and I tired, painfully, to catch my breath. It took me only a second or so to realize where I was.

Moving around from home to home had me somewhat disjointed, but I was pretty quick in a crisis. A quick scan of the room told me that I had not woken the two other girls. I sighed and slid my feet over the edge of the bed and carefully balanced myself on my feet. I made my way to the bathroom to splash some water on my already damp face.

When I was feeling calm enough I headed back to the bedroom. I saw the boys' door open a crack and I decided to take a peek inside.

Boys! _Why were they so… so…?_ Even the air in their room smelled like boy! I noticed that there was a mess already in there, clothes on the floor and pillows and blankets thrown messily around. Emmett was not wearing a t-shirt — which was not an entirely hideous sight — and he was lying half off his bottom bunk snoring lightly. If I didn't already hate him, I might be inclined to crush over him a bit.

"What are you doing?" A whisper broke through my thoughts. I must have been smiling subconsciously — or close to it — for I felt my face drop when I saw Bella standing next to me. I found it surprisingly easy to recover and place a sly smile back on my face.

"Oh. Nothing," I replied sweetly, glancing into the boys' room once more. "I was just looking."

The look on her face was priceless. I had found Bella's weakness. I gave her wink and headed back to bed feeling very satisfied.

To Be Continued…

* * *

_Sigh...I don't know what to say. **What do you think about Rosalie's treatment of Esme? Do you think she is justified to be wary?**_

_Drawings of Edward and Bella are now posted on my DeviantART gallery. You can find the links on my profile if you are interested. :) I have a few new Rosalie drawings in the works as well-one for chapter 8 and one for chapter 9. I also have a general portrait of her that I will be posting soon. _

_Coming up next: Carlisle has a hard day ahead of him-with kids who demand a lot of his time, he is finding it hard to get his needs met. Can he talk reason with Rosalie to calm her down?_

**_Thank you for your support to all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. I appreciate it! _**


	8. Chapter 8 One of Those

_*Note- I hope you enjoy this chapter from Carlisle's POV. I really do love him. Hehe. Just a **warning**, though: tiny bit of a lime in here (nothing too graphic). I have been told it is pg-13 rating so it should be okay for all of you! Hope you enjoy! This is actually a really long chapter. Woot! I think that is my new fav word because the 't' is silent but it is fun to say it anyway!_

_Also... A drawing of Carlisle and Esme from the first scene of this chapter now posted. Please go to my DeviantART to check it out if you are interested (rated Mature for the tiniest bit of nudity). There are also so new Rosalie Drawings in my gallery. One of which is her attire over the course of the next three chapters. It is entitled 'If Looks Could Kill'. The link to that is on my profile already. :) There are also some silly ones I drew of Alice when Rosalie asked her if she wets the bed and another cartoony one of Rosalie smirking in the boys room. Hehe._

_Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. I am very grateful for your feedback and support. :)_

_Thank you to catharticone for editing this chapter. *If anyone is interested in some well-written canon fics, go check out catharticone's stories. They are wonderful! _

_Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer-duh- I am Marra, and I am only borrowing her characters for this fan fiction. Please don't sue me._

* * *

**Thorns**

**Chapter Eight  
**

Sunday, June 28th, 2009

I woke to the gentle brushing of fingertips against my chest — she knew I loved that sensation — and I wondered if it was going to be one of _those_ mornings. _Oh, please, let it be one of those mornings! _Her arm curled over my side and her body was pressed up behind mine. I could hear her gentle breathing in my ear and feel the small puffs of heat on my neck. I was not sure if she was awake or just unconsciously stroking my pecs. Either way, it was a wonderful feeling waking up next to my wife.

I didn't dare roll over for fear of rousing her. It was early, but the sun was out and sunlight was shining gloriously in through the skylight above us. I thought I heard footsteps and whispers coming from downstairs — some of the kids were already up it sounded like. That meant as soon as Esme or I spoke or made any noise indicating we were no longer sleeping, we would have to get up, too.

I reached my hand to take Esme's and I hugged it under my neck. There was a soft humming that followed and I knew she was awake and thinking the same as I was. I turned to face her and then, with her in my arms, I rolled onto my back pulling her on top of me. Her hands were at my sides, hoisting her body up off the mattress so she gazed down on me. She looked like an angel with a mess of warm brown hair fluffed around her face. The light from above poured in around us and lit her up.

Esme smiled at me, the perfect morning greeting, and then fell into me so our lips met. A moan escaped me involuntarily. "Shhh," she hushed and her arms gave way so she was lying directly on top of me. I felt the vibration of her silent giggle against my body, which did not tame matters below.

I decided to go for it — perhaps some more kisses would silence her amusement. I could not lie there any longer without doing something about this passion I felt for her.

With my hands holding her face carefully, I reached up to kiss beneath her jaw line. I rolled her over until I was above her. The look on her face was priceless. She seemed so innocent as she bit her lip and smiled coyly at me. It built the pressure inside me. I softly growled and chewed lightly the length of her clavicle all the way up until I could nibble at her earlobe. For fun I focused in on the crook of her neck and sucked a little bit, careful not to break blood vessels under her tender skin.

"Mmmm." She moaned this time, but I didn't hush her. Her one hand now so strategically placed down my pants.

A sudden clatter made the pair of us jump — it was a relief that it was only a slight jolt or the gig would have been up for me. We took a break from our romp and froze, her hand not leaving its precarious position… _thank you, Lord_. We both listened for a moment to the sounds from downstairs that were growing louder now. I was pretty sure it was Edward teasing Bella for dropping something, though their voices were quiet and hard to make out. Still, if I could hear them, they might be able to hear us.

It didn't appear that our status was known, but there was no way Esme and I could continue with the kids just below us in the kitchen. Esme sighed dramatically and gently released me from her generous grasp. I let out an exasperated breath and flopped down with my head on her chest as she hugged me close. Her heart was beating wildly, as was my own.

It was wonderful to have a place out of the city to take the family for holidays and weekend getaways — sometimes Christmas — but the one downside was not having a locking door on our bedroom. Not that it would help, what with it being a loft suite. I could just smack myself in the head for not thinking about that one when we bought the cabin.

"I am going to take a shower," Esme whispered as she slid out from beneath me, leaving my lips on the verge of a manly pout. My lovely, seductive wife walked around the bed towards the bathroom in slow motion, her hand held just above my body, her fingers tickling my skin. Then she walked teasingly away, flashing me a cryptic smirk over her shoulder before she slipped into the small room and the water turned on.

I waited momentarily to get up, not wanting to seem too eager, but I was shaking with anticipation and I practically leaped off the bed to join her. She teased me when I caught her still in her nightgown, not yet in position for our little play. I closed and locked the door behind me and helped her get undressed — something that worked just as well with my fantasy.

I kissed her after I pulled the thin, cotton slip over her head and tossed it aside. Her hands rubbed down my abdomen and slipped under the waistband of my pants. No unbuttoning required, thus _the only_ miracle of elastic pants. My pyjamas were around my ankles and I wasted no time hoisting her up, her legs wrapped around my middle, to carry her into the shower stall. She pulled the handle of the frosted glass door shut behind us.

We let the running water hide the sounds of our pleasure as we finished what we had started in bed.

It was definitely one of _those_ mornings!

* * *

Approximately fifteen minutes was all we allowed ourselves in the shower. If we took any longer the hot water might not last long enough for the kids to have their showers.

Regardless of the rush, Esme and I emerged very happy and ready to take on the day. She let me have the sink first so I could shave and brush my teeth. I snuck a few peeks at her as she got herself dressed. I loved to watch Esme fuss over what she would wear. Women were such interesting creatures. She took such care in picking out the perfect bra and matching panties that would best fit under her outfit.

This morning she wore a pale-beige lace ensemble that she would tell you was to eliminate the appearance of lines under her soft pink shirt and tan shorts. I just thought they gave the illusion of her being naked under her clothes. Perhaps that is the same difference — either way…it works for me!

I finished in the bathroom just as Esme came in to take her place in front of the mirror. I kissed her one last time for the morning and left her to do all her girl maintenance that I didn't understand. Our bathroom cabinet was ninety percent filled with her products — creams, gels, masks, powders, perfumes, foundations, and glosses. It was a mystery to me why she needed so many items. She was the most beautiful creature on the planet as far as I was concerned.

I had a much easier time getting dressed. No muss, no fuss. Esme had packed for me and with Alice's help my dresser was organized to be fool proof — not that anyone thought I was a fool. It was loving of the girls to take care of me in this manner. I could take any bottoms and any top and, conveniently, they would fit together.

Just for fun, I reached in with my eyes closed to test my theory. White shirt and khaki shorts…Yep, that matches! I pulled out a pair boxer briefs, socks and belt and quickly got dressed.

The children were up, that was for sure. I could hear them chatting softly, discretely, downstairs. I ran my hands through my hair a few times to make sure it was not too unruly and I slipped on my watch before heading down the flight of spiral stairs to the main floor.

"Good morning!" I greeted Alice, Bella, Jasper and Edward, who were all sitting around the round, oak table in the center of the room. It appeared that they were preparing breakfast, which made my heart sing. We had the most thoughtful kids in the universe — though some would say I am biased.

The lot smiled and said their good morning greetings to me as I joined them. It was nearly eight o'clock, not too early, but I noticed the absence of Rosalie and Emmett. Edward noticed my train of thought.

"Emmett's in the shower, Rosalie is still in bed," he informed me. He had an uncanny way of knowing what someone was thinking just by reading his or her expressions and movements. Esme would say, "Great minds think alike," but I sometimes felt that Edward was the one with the great mind and we were all witnessing his genius.

"Rosalie is not up?" I asked curiously. Bella shook her head when I turned to the girls for a response.

"I tried to wake her, but she didn't budge. I think she must be very tired," Alice informed me.

"Probably because she didn't sleep that much." Bella agreed airily, her expression unreadable.

"Do you want me to go get her?" Alice offered eagerly. She flashed me a beaming smile.

I hesitated and looked again at my watch. Esme wanted to leave the cabin no later than a half past nine to venture out on our hike. I didn't know Rosalie well enough yet to know her morning rituals, but she did appear to be more on the high maintenance side when it came to her hair, make-up, and dress. She would probably want time to get herself ready properly before we had to head out and we wanted the family to eat together as well.

"No," I responded and placed my hand on Alice's untamed hair and ruffled it. "Thank you, darling. I think I will."

Bella mumbled something into her folded arms that she had hugged around her knees. It sounded a lot like she was wishing me luck.

The door of the girl's bedroom was closed as I strode up to it. I took a breath and paused my hand in mid-air before knocking. I was slightly nervous about this child. Not that she was a threat — I just knew so little about her that I was unsure how to approach her.

"Rosalie? Rosalie, it is Carlisle. I am just checking in. Are you up?" I asked. There was a long silence that led me to believe she was not, until…

"Yes. I'm awake," I heard her say. I could barely make out her voice.

"Oh, good. We are getting breakfast ready now. We will eat in a half an hour, dear," I told her.

"O-kay!" she replied. Her voice almost sounded sharp, although the closed door and the distance between us muffled it. I left it at that and stepped away to give her some privacy.

I found a load of towels folded on top of the dryer and decided to put them away in the linen closet to make good use of myself. I could hear Emmett singing some ridiculous rock tune along with the sound of running water. It made me smile as he vocalized a guitar solo.

Rosalie emerged from her room carrying a bag of toiletries and some clothing. Her eyes locked on the other kids, who were goofing around at the table with a deck of cards, but she didn't speak. She turned away from them swiftly and nearly bumped into me as I was making my way down the hallway towards her.

"Good morning," I said with a smile. I must have startled her because she backed away from me, nearly crashing into the wall. Her eyes were large and unblinking as she calmed her pose.

"Good morning," she obliged and she darted off to her right towards the bathroom, careful to go around me, but she watched me cautiously as she moved.

I tried to reassure her with a gentle nod before heading back to join the group at the table. I could hear her trying the doorknob impatiently as I walked away.

A few seconds later, I was leaning over the kitchen table where the kids were playing a card game and there was a loud banging noise coming from down the hall. Everyone looked, but no one said anything. Emmett yelled out that he would be out in a minute.

"She is not going to have a good day," my youngest announced casually without looking up from what she was doing with her hand. Edward threw a discard, but he bobbed his head accordingly as he and Bella smiled at each other. Alice sighed and put her cards down.

"I bet she has never been hiking before," Jasper put in his two cents. "She will be the first to crack for sure!"

"We are not running a boot camp!" I laughed. "It is the first hike of the summer so we will take it easy. There is no rush to get to the beach, anyway. We have all day. We can stop if anyone needs a rest, and I don't want anyone to be made to feel badly if they need one. Understood?"

Jasper agreed, as did Bella, who seemed tortured even by the mention of hiking. Edward played all of his cards down and went out with an, "Ah ha!" Alice was not surprised. She had somewhat given up last round. I think she knew she was losing that one.

"One more!" She ordered and gathered the cards up to deal them out again. Edward rolled his eyes, but he could not help but grin. For now, he was winning and they both appeared to be having fun.

Alice and Edward had an ongoing rivalry with each other. Alice could take a loss quite well, but Edward found it hard to lose to his nine-year-old sister and would call it quits when the odds were not in his favor. In turn, Alice would come crying to me or her mother about how unfair Edward was being during those times and we would tell her to go speak to Edward and "work it out."

As much as we wanted our kids to play fair, chastising them for every little offense hardly seemed reasonable. It was better for them to learn civility on their own without me or Esme interfering. We didn't want to encourage them to come running to us to tell on each other either. We didn't want to allow Edward to get away with poor sportsmanship, but on the other hand, we couldn't force him to play with Alice when he didn't want to.

Being a parent was sometimes more detailed work than Neurosurgery. Keeping up with the kids certainly had my mind ready for sleep at the end of a long day.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

There were three loud bangs, echoing through the cabin, making myself and the kids look up again. It stopped when we heard a door open. Then there was a shuffling sound.

"Gee whiz. Relax. I'm out. I'm out!" Emmett said before a door was shut loudly. Then he appeared, with a towel around his neck and no shirt on. "Heads up, people — new girl is not a morning person!" He laughed and shook his hair out next to Alice, and she squealed and pushed him away.

"Figures," Bella mumbled as she collected all the cards into a pile.

I was not sure what Rosalie could have done to upset sweet Bella, but clearly there was tension there. Bella was not one to start a fight. I wondered if the two of them might have had a run in with each other — a misunderstanding._ Or, could it be a jealously thing?_ Rosalie was very confident and graceful; two things Bella struggled with in regards to her self-esteem. That theory was hard to believe seeing as Bella was hardly the type of girl to mistreat or judge others unfairly based on appearances. However, there were certain insecurities our children had due to how they came into our family. Bella might not be as comfortable with having Rosalie join us for the summer as she let on.

"It is never easy being the new kid," I offered gently and laid a hand on Bella's shoulder. She sighed and didn't acknowledge my comment. Or, perhaps it was something else troubling Bella entirely.

"So is she?" Edward asked Emmett, nudging him slightly. "You know…"

Bella narrowed her eyes at her brother, waiting for his response. Jasper seemed interested in hearing the answer too.

"Naw… she's still good lookin' without make up!" Emmett laughed.

_What?_ I would have expected some gossip from Alice, maybe. She was inquisitive and spoke without thinking often times, but this coming from the boys was slightly surprising. I wanted to comment, but I was drawing a blank as I stood there with my mouth parted.

"Her eyes are crazy blue when she is angry, though," Emmett chuckled. "This was the second time she's hit me and I really don't think I deserved it this morning. How was I to know she needed the bathroom at the same time as me? I wasn't even in there that long."

"She hit you?" Bella inquired, focusing in on her big brother. He shrugged and stretched a black cotton t-shirt over his head and pulled it on. I could feel Bella's shoulder muscles tense under my fingers. She immediately relaxed as if she was embarrassed to have said that so shrilly.

I would have spoke up, but I felt like if I made any sudden movement my privilege of inclusion would be taken away and they would resume gossip some other time and place without me present. And I really wanted them to be able to talk about anything with me in the same room without fearing judgment, so I was not about to get uppity over this incident.

I had to admit that the idea of the kids getting violent with one other troubled me, but I was not about to start an intervention before I knew all the contributing factors and heard everyone's point of view. I wanted the kids to try and work it out first. Emmett was not one to be pushed around normally — it would take a pretty bold person to stand up to his brute size. I was surprised with Rosalie's behavior.

"Well, not hit…she just shoved me out of her way to get into the bathroom."

"That's a bit impatient of her, hey?" Edward asked with a smile as he elbowed Emmett in the ribs.

"Rude, is more like it!" Bella grumbled lowly into her knees.

Emmett shrugged it off. "No big deal." He seemed to be forgiving; therefore I saw no need to intervene. "She can shove me anytime she wants to," he added with a sly smile as he nudged Edward back from previously.

I thought I heard Bella mumble something as she got up and walked away from us to put the cards back on the bookcase.

"She sure is pretty. She should be a model!" Alice shared, her eyes winkling with glee. I can only imagine she was picturing Rosalie as her real life Barbie Doll. "I wonder if she likes playing 'fashion show'. Could you ask her for me?" Alice pleaded with Emmett desperately clinging to his shirt.

He literally flicked her hands off him. "Ask her yourself!"

"I don't think she likes me," Alice decided thoughtfully.

Emmett sighed and nodded sympathetically. "Join the club."

"I am sure that isn't be true, sweetheart. Just give her a chance to get to know you a bit better," I said to Alice. She smiled as I bent over her tiny frame to give her the hug she was asking for, her arm already stretched out with welcome before I had even known I was going in. _Am I that predictable or is she psychic?_ That was the question that weighed heavily on all our minds.

She reciprocated my affection with a kiss on my cheek, her delicate arms wrapped around my neck. Oh, how wonderful it felt to be loved by a child. There was no better feeling.

CLUNK!

There was a clunking noise that came from the bathroom, followed by a scream. "Arggh!" It was not a loud shriek, but more of a frustrated outburst.

"Yikes! Someone's has her grump on!" Edward said and he and Jasper laughed.

I shot them a disapproving look and went to investigate. I didn't want to be too intrusive, but just to be safe I listened in the hallway to make sure Rosalie was all right. She must have dropped the soap or something, because I heard no more distress from her. When I could clearly here her in there, moving around, I retreated to give her back her privacy.

When I returned I stifled the gossip that was going on as the kids speculated what Rosalie's "beef," was as they giggled mercilessly. I couldn't let it go on — someone needed to be the parent now — even if it meant losing my in with my kids. Being a father came before being their friend, sadly. "Alright…Enough with this topic — it is turning into gossip and you know how your mother and I feel about that. How would you feel if you were in her shoes right now?"

And then I said what I always say when the kids are conflicted over doing what is fair. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." I sounded like _my_ father.

The consensus was a low mumbling of agreement.

"A round of Crazy-Eights?" I asked cheerfully. "Last one out has to carry the first aid kit on the hike today!" I knew how they all dreaded that chore, as it was a bright red, fanny pack.

"You're on!" Emmett joined in. The rest followed along — Bella being the least enthused of them all. She went back to the bookshelf and retrieved the deck of cards for us to play.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Edward had lost the game and was going to do us the honors of toting the flashy first aid kit today. He was not thrilled, but he took his loss quite well.

All of a sudden, Rosalie appeared as she huffed back to her bedroom and shut the door loudly. I don't think I had heard the door slam so many times in such a short period of time in my life. I stood up, concerned.

"What was that about?" Esme asked as she appeared behind me with her hand pressed to my side. I shrugged. Her guess was as good as mine — probably a number to contributing factors were at fault. "Well, thank you for getting breakfast started. That was sweet of you."

"The kids," I credited.

"We made breakfast, Mom!"

"I see that. Thank you, my dear," Esme thanked our youngest.

"We put milk and cereal on the table, Allie. We didn't _make_ anything," Bella harshly retorted without looking up from where her head rested in her folded arms on the table. I sighed and touched her shoulder gentle. She seemed miserable.

"Come to think of it, I will need to go to the store when we get home this afternoon. I only brought the basics from home," Esme spouted out as she fluttered to the counter to retrieve a list she had started. Her mind seemed occupied on the task. I was a bit surprised she was not commenting on Bella's mood, but with the bustle of bodies in the kitchen it was very hard to concentrate.

The kids were busy chatting amongst themselves, some of them shouting food requests at their mother to add to the shopping list. I knelt down beside Bella and rubbed her back. I was worried she might be coming down with something. She seemed so gloomy. "Are you feeling alright, kiddo?" I asked her softly underneath the volume of the others. She heaved a sigh and nodded dully.

That was not a good enough answer for me. I cupped my hand over her forehead and then pressed the back of it against her cheek. She didn't appear to have a fever.

She leaned away from me. "I'm fine!" She complained quietly, obviously annoyed by the attention I was paying her.

"Okay," I whispered and kissed her head as I stood up. "I love you, sweetie."

"I love you too," she obliged and she sat up to make an effort. She didn't fool me. She was not fine — something was troubling her.

The bedroom door opened dramatically and Rosalie made her way over to us. She was wearing the shortest skirt I had ever seen and black shades rested like a headband on the top of her head. A hard, yet flawless expression was marring her face. She was certainly not as shy as I had expected. Her presence demanded attention and respect. She was like a magnet and she was clearly aware of the power she held. I am sure that all our eyes went straight to her.

"Where do you want me to sit?" she asked plainly.

"Where ever you'd like, Princess!" Emmett said with a laugh and he kicked the chair next to his out a bit for her. She didn't look at it — she walked to the other side next to Edward and she took a place at the table.

"I don't usually eat dairy," Rosalie spoke looking disdainfully at the jug of one-percent on the table. "I like soy or some brands of plain, fat-free yogurt. Do you have anything like that?"

The room held an uncomfortable silence. I could understand if she was used to drinking another kind of milk, like skim or 2% — which I had been raised on — but her comment had me confused. _What does she mean, "I don't usually eat dairy?" Is she lactose intolerant?_ That was the only possible explanation that came to me on the spot.

I had been against drinking skim when I first married Esme. She liked the taste of skim and I thought it was too thin tasting. We used to keep two jugs in the fridge until we had kids. Then we merged into 1% as a compromise and that seemed to please everyone.

"Are you sensitive to lactose, dear?" I asked curiously. If so, we would come up with alternatives for her, not wanting to cause her to feel ill.

She faced me confidently and shook her head. "No. I just don't like a lot of dairy in my diet."

"Well…" I hummed. Somehow, I didn't sound very confident. "You should have at least -"

"Two to three servings a day? Yes, I am aware of the spiel. I just don't care for milk or eggs. Like I said, soy milk or light yogurt I will have in moderation, but nothing else."

_Is that a demand?_ I was not sure how to respond.

Esme stepped in and took charge, obviously deciding it was best to appease Rosalie."I am going shopping this afternoon. Why don't you come with me?" she suggested.

Rosalie nodded expectantly.

I smiled and took my seat at the round table. I kindly held out a box of granola to Rosalie in offering. She took it, but only poured a few spoonfuls out into her bowl, sneering at it like we were feeding dead rat or something as rancid.

After she nibbled at the food in front of her for longer than necessary, Alice was the one to finally speak up. "The All Bran tastes the best without milk," she said as she held out the box to Rosalie. "Here!"

Alice dumped about a half cup of cereal with raisins into the blonde's empty bowl without asking. Rosalie narrowed her eyes slightly, an expression missed by my wife, who was lovingly trying to cheer Bella up with her gentle touch. I poured my own bowl of granola and sliced some bananas on top, sharing with Alice who ate more than Bella and Rosalie combined even though she was half the size of either of them. The child with a hallow leg, as I affectionately called her during mealtime.

Rosalie silently ate the food in her plate. _God bless little Alice_, for I doubt Rosalie would have eaten much more without the push and she needed more in her stomach than a couple bites of plain granola. The physician in me urged to break out the topic of proper daily nutrition — the kids would all just _love_ that — but I managed to refrain. I didn't know Rosalie very well yet, so didn't say anything. I would keep an eye on her, though, to make sure she was eating a balanced diet.

Esme would take her to the store to buy some food Rosalie would be more familiar with — that would probably help her feel more comfortable around the dinner table.

Esme and I were somewhat accustomed — it never is easy — to welcoming new children into our lives. Even with the many books out there to help foster parents cope with bring a new child into the home; we could never have been prepared for any of our kids. Each one was so different.

Edward and Jasper had both been very shy, though Edward was still getting over the death of his mother when he came to us. So, he was not so much shy as he was heartbroken. It took him some time to heal, but he attached rather quickly to me. Never having a father figure to latch on previously, he found the connection easy to make — as did I. With Esme, it took more time for Edward to accept her as his mother because he had already had a loving mother that he didn't want to replace. Once he understood that he didn't have to forget his mother, he accepted Esme as his "other mother." He didn't call her that anymore, but we never minded when he introduced Esme to others this way.

Jasper was timid, but only on the surface. Inside, I would liken him to liquid nitrogen — the slightest shift in mood could set him off and….BOOM! His life living on the streets with his mother had almost left him dead, so I knew where his fight for survival came from. His mother had trained him to be a bully — to take from others to satisfy his needs. When she disappeared, leaving him alone with a gang they associated with on occasion, Jasper got in too deep with another boy and ended up in my ER with multiple stab wounds and other deep lacerations covering most of his body. He was healed now, on the outside, but the scars remained.

Needless to say, he was not trusting of our good intentions when we applied for custody. He tried to run away several times and we almost lost him when social services got involved. After that, we had to watch Jasper very closely and monitor his behavior. He improved slightly with the aid of a good child therapist I was put in contact with who dealt with more severe cases of neglect and abandonment issues. He managed to integrate into our family gradually and allow us to love him. Eventually, he found another important reason to stay — when the Swan kids joined our family and Alice won him over.

The Swan siblings were all very worn and weary when they joined us, but they fit in almost immediately. Bella was reserved by nature — thoughtful and cautious — but her gentle, passionate heart, much like Esme's, gave her the will to accept us as her family.

Emmett was a little bit shy for the first few weeks, but he got over it pretty fast. He seemed the least affected from his years bouncing around in the system — he told me that as long as he had his sisters with him he was a happy guy. I loved him so much for that. He teased his sisters on a regular basis, but he knew how to respect women because of the love he felt for Bella and Alice.

Alice made herself at home right away. It was remarkable that she called us Mom and Dad on the first day, insisting that she "knew we were family" from the moment she laid eyes on us. I have learned to trust Alice's intuitions, though in the case of the Swans I didn't need her to tell me that they belonged to us. That was pretty clear from the get go.

Feisty and determined to give her opinions as Alice is, she was never one to be pushy with her demands — well, unless it came to fashion.

Even the Denali triplets had not been as bold as Rosalie appeared, and those three were very confident young girls. I was glad for their spirit. It had made their departure from our home back into their parents a lot easier. It was Esme and I who felt their absence more intensely. There were days where I still missed seeing their smiling faces across from me at the breakfast table.

They contacted us on occasion to let us know how they were doing, which was lovely. They liked to call us their 'extended family' and Tanya still e-mailed Edward on a regular basis. She had really grown fond of Edward while she had lived with us and was constantly hinting that they be more than friends. He did not return her affections, but he maintained a friendship with her none-the-less. I had to hand it to Tanya; she was persistent in not giving up.

But Rosalie — she was brazen. I was still slightly shocked by Rosalie's abrasive attitude over breakfast. Clara had told us she would be a challenge.

I was not one to trust the accusations of a social worker as a general rule. I liked to think they didn't know their child as well as they pretended. _How could they?_ They didn't live with the child. They were gatekeepers — casual spectators — and dealt primarily with the results rather than the cause of a foster child's history.

No, I would have to learn more about Rosalie before I would understand her behavior. She was obviously overcompensating for something with her over-confident, haughty attitude. The poor dear was probably just overwhelmed. My instinct was to wrap her in my arms and hold her, but her body language told me that was not the best way to get to know her.

Every now and then, when she met my gaze, I thought I saw fear in her pretty violet eyes.

* * *

This morning's breakfast was one of the most draining I had felt in a long time. It was hard to spread myself between all the kids and my wife — not that I ever minded — but trying to make the meal run smoothly has suddenly become difficult with the addition of one. Each time I brought up a light topic for discussion, it was ignored or quickly dismissed by one of the kids. Esme was focused on her list, and I didn't want to bother her — feeding a family of our size was a challenge enough without my interference. So, eventually, I backed down and ate quietly along with the others. My cheer was not rubbing off on any of them, it seemed.

Bella hardly ate. Whatever was bothering her was something she felt she could not share, which saddened me. Edward seemed to notice as well and he was getting annoyed with her when she would not answer his inquiries of concern either. Emmett and Alice were uncharacteristically quiet. Emmett looked pained to keep his mouth shut and Alice seemed enraptured with watching Rosalie eat one dry flake of bran at a time. And Jasper…well, Jasper was often quiet, but he was well aware of the lull in the room and was more withdrawn than usual.

The silence made the morning ritual so eerie — and the strange day continued before we even made it out of the cabin.

I insisted on sunscreen right after we all ate. Everyone did as they were told and helped each other cover exposed skin of their buddy. Esme had informed me of Emmett's run in with Rosalie last night, but I had not thought much on it. It only made sense that Rosalie would not be too pleased with having him rub the lotion on her overly exposed back. Still…her reaction was not one I could have prepared myself for.

"Pervert!" She snapped at him and I caught a glimpse of her knocking the sun block bottle out of his hands and back away with a jerk. She had her arms folded across her chest protectively so I could not doubt she was feeling wronged. Certainly, though, it was misunderstanding.

"Whoa!" Emmett said, raising his hands in surrender. "Chillax!"

"You nearly undid my bra, you disgusting pig!" she accused him. I didn't need to find out the details to know that her claim was false.

"Ooookay…" I announced calmly and stepped between the two of them. Esme was smart to usher the others outside to allow us some privacy. "Tell me what happened?"

"He slipped his hands under my bra strap! He was trying to feel me up!" Rosalie stated shrilly.

"No way! I was just trying to get your back. Your shirt hardly covers your bra so I had to put the lotion all the way down there!" Emmett explained with wide, honest eyes. He turned to me pleadingly. "Honest! I was just doing my job!"

"Okay, I know you didn't mean any harm, Son," I started.

"What? You're taking his side?" Rosalie barked at me. I shook my head. "I should have known! You're all the same!"

"Rosalie, honey…"

"Don't call me that. I am not your honey!"

"All right. I apologize — I won't call you that. Please calm down. I am not taking anyone's side. I am just trying to understand what happened and it looks to me that it was a misunderstanding. Emmett would never-"

"Of course not!" She snapped sarcastically, "He is your precious son. I am nobody to you so why would you believe me?"

"Sweetie…" _Oops._ It was a reflex, but I saw the fire behind her eyes when the term slipped out. "Rosalie," I corrected myself, "I can assure you that I _do_ believe you feel wronged here. I can _see_ you are upset and that you are uncomfortable with what happened, but I just want you to know he didn't intend to make you uncomfortable."

"No. No, I didn't! I was just trying to put lotion on your back, that's all. No touching of any bras or elsewhere was intended!" Emmett rambled nervously. Rosalie was clammed up now, glaring silently back at him. "Really! I am sorry, okay?"

Rosalie didn't budge.

"Emmett, go join the others," I told him gently. He nodded and backed out carefully, like he was still worried he had messed up somehow. Emmett was a big boy and he looked intimidating and macho as any man, but he was one of the gentlest young men I had ever encountered in my lifetime. He would never disrespect a woman. He was the big brother to two little sisters for goodness' sake.

I reached out to offer Rosalie some comfort, but she jerked away the moment my fingers brushed her arm. I could see that she was not ready to let this one go, and I was not the one to be consoling her at this time.

Esme appeared as if she had read my mind. "Darling? Why don't you take the others up ahead and we will catch up to you?" she offered.

"Sure, dear," I replied. I bent my head down a touch and spoke softly to the girl. "Rosalie? Is there anything else you need to tell me, or would it be alright for me to leave you with Esme for a little while until you are feeling better?"

Her response was a somewhat unpleasant snarl and shrug. "Whatever." So, I left her in the hands of my loving wife, who I wished the best of luck dealing with the frightened child. It would not easy.

It was going to be one of _those_ days.

To Be Continued…

* * *

_Poor Carlisle. His day started off so well...** Who do you feel the most sorry for? Emmett for being called a pervert? Rosalie for being so angry and scared? Carlisle? How about Esme for having to be the one to deal with Rosalie in the next chapter? **Hehe. Let me know what you think..._

_Reminder: If you are interested in checking out my fan art for this story please drop by my DeviantART page and say hi! I sometimes post previews there and ask for requests and such. And it is a fun place to make friends and share art. :D You add me, I add you: Fun for all! Links on my profile!_

_**Thank you for reading.**_

_Coming up next: A little trip into the lake..._


	9. Chapter 9 Helpless

_Thank you to catharticone and RandomSugarRush for beta-ing this chapter. :)  
_

_Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer -duh- I am Marra, and I am only borrowing her characters for this fan fiction. Please don't sue me._

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* * *

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**Thorns**

**Chapter Nine  
**

At first I was hesitant to involve myself, but when I saw Rosalie pull away from Carlisle the way she did, I decided I would step in.

Clara Butterfield had mentioned Rosalie's accusation of sexual assault in our meeting with her a few weeks ago. It had not deterred us from taking Rosalie for the summer. Clara's tone had been neutral and somehow implied that the claims might not be entirely valid. But a child would not make such things up unless there was a reason. The truth or otherwise — Rosalie was the victim in this situation.

Clara never uttered an unkind word about Rosalie. Instead, she suggested that Rosalie was an honest girl who had a tendency to dramatize things to her benefit. According to the social worker, the allegations of abuse were never brought into a courtroom and no charges against Lillian Hale or her fiancé were ever made. She also mentioned that Rosalie never brought up the topic again after the initial accusation a few years ago.

Emmett exited the cabin looking like he did when he brought home his report cards — worried and perhaps a little bit embarrassed. I touched his shoulder and reassured him I knew he was innocent. He shook his head, bewildered, and he joined his siblings. I went inside and stopped in the doorway.

"Darling, why don't you take the others up ahead and we will catch up to you?" I offered when Carlisle's eyes met mine. I smiled gently at Rosalie to lessen the tension in the room if I could.

"Sure, dear," he replied. He tried one more time to reason with her. "Rosalie? Is there anything else you need to tell me, or would it be alright for me to leave you with Esme for a little while until you are feeling better?"

"Whatever," she sneered, not moving. Carlisle nodded subtly, he squeezing my arm in gratitude as he passed me to lead the kids on the hike.

"Rosalie? Would you like to sit down and tell me what happened that has you so upset?"

"No."

"If you are not ready to talk about it that is fine. You know that Carlisle or I will listen whenever you're ready."

"I don't _know_ that!" she hissed lowly.

I was hardly able to hear her words. Clearly, she did not want to talk to me about what had set her off, so I moved on. _What else could I do?_ I was not going to force her to share her feelings with me.

"How about you let me finish putting the lotion on your back, and then we can get going?" I offered.

I was surprised she nodded so readily. I picked up the bottle of sun block from the floor and approached her slowly. She dropped her arms from around her middle and turned around, holding her hair up with one hand. "Thank you, dear," I whispered and squirted some cream on my hand and then pressed it between her shoulder blades with care. She shivered at the coldness, but never said a word as I rubbed it into her flawless ivory skin.

"Done," I let her know so she could drop her hair. She sighed heavily and let her hair fall in soft waves down her shoulders. "Are you ready to go?"

"Like I have a choice, right?" she relented, and she slid by me and out the door as I slipped the lotion bottle into my bag and swung it over my shoulder. She stopped on the lawn in front while I locked the cabin door, and when I met with her she kept pace with me.

"I know Emmett comes off like he is a big, macho guy, but he is very kindhearted, Rosalie. I promise he would not disrespect you in any way intentionally. I am sorry if he made you uncomfortable. Next time, you can speak up and request for me to help you — or Bella — if you would prefer a female's help. Emmett will not be offended."

"It's fine," she relented. She was drawing back from me now. "I was just surprised. It's not a big deal."

"I think it is. If you felt threatened, then it is a concern. We want you to feel safe with us, Rosalie and-"

"I'm fine!" she snarled, stopping in her tracks abruptly. I stopped and turned around.

"You don't appear to be fine, dear," I gently rebuffed. I didn't want to set her off — she seemed very tense. The way her face twisted, I knew her eyes must have been burning me from behind her shades.

"I just don't see why I have to come on this hike!" she excused herself sharply. "That is why I'm upset. I don't like walking around for hours in the sun and breathing in dust from the earth! Do I look like the type of girl who rolls around in the dirt?"

I was slightly confused at the turn the conversation made. She was suddenly so hostile, but I knew that it was coming from fear or pain. I doubted that her outburst with Emmett stemmed from her unwillingness to go hiking. It was more than that; because now she did not want to acknowledge the situation at all. It was almost as if I had caught her in a lie and she was throwing me a red herring… or maybe I had read too many Agatha Christie novels as a teenager, and Rosalie was actually not a fan of outdoor fitness.

"You'll enjoy the walk, dear. It is not too strenuous, don't worry, and if you need a break you can say so."

"Ya. Alright," she mumbled and she continued to walk right past me. "Let's go then."

I skipped a few times to get myself going and catch up with her pace. I had on a rather large backpack and it was hard to get momentum from a full stop. Rosalie didn't have a pack, which was understandable since she had been placed with our family with very little warning and had no means to organize for a summer away in the woods. She never offered to carry anything, but to be fair; she had no pockets or zipper compartments in any of the clothing she was sporting.

She wore a short skirt — which I prayed internally was a skort — and a thin, white tank top with low cut front and back that did, in fact, show some of her dark, lacy bra. There was no denying that Emmett would have gotten close to her bra clasp if he were trying to cover her bare skin properly. She also had huge black sunglasses that covered nearly a third of her face. She looked like she was ready to pose for a summer fashion shoot rather than going on a family hiking trip.

I noted she didn't have proper shoes either; she was wearing strappy sandals. "Are your feet comfortable enough in those shoes, dear? Perhaps we should have gone shopping sooner than this afternoon — or you could have borrowed a pair of Bella's."

"I don't own any running shoes if that is what you are getting at," she told me plainly.

"Well, we can pick you up a pair when we go out this afternoon. Since you will be needed them this summer. We spend quite a bit of time outdoors," I informed Rosalie. I didn't have to look directly at her to know she was not pleased. "You can pick out a nice pair. Running shoes are very in right now."

"Hah!" She laughed.

That was the last thing she said to me as we walked side by side along the narrow, dirt path between the trees. I could hear the kids up ahead so I knew we were not far behind, but the dense bush and curvy path made it hard to see them. Eventually, we joined up with the group when they stopped in a clearing to wait for us.

"Water anyone?" Carlisle asked, holding up a lightweight thermal bottle filled with ice water. Emmett took a splash, careful not to touch the spout with is mouth. He passed it to Edward and to Bella, then Jasper and Alice — who inadvertently pressed her lips to the rim of the bottle when she drank.

"Want some, Rosie?" Alice asked and shoved the bottle toward Rosalie.

"No… thanks," Rosalie said and paused before she spoke again with a sharp edge. "And it is _Ros-a-lie_."

"Here," I offered softly, handing Rosalie the bottle of water I had on me, unopened. She was surprised with my catering, but she nodded and took it from me graciously and mumbled a thank you.

"Ya… good call. You never know what disease Alice may be carrying!" Edward teased dryly, shooting Rosalie a look of amusement.

"Edward," Carlisle and I chastised simultaneously.

He smirked and shrugged it off and swung the first aid kit into Alice's backside with a playful grin. "Could be some new disease no one has even heard of. If we discover it we can name it, right Dad?"

His brothers muffled their chuckles.

"Let's call it Runtitis!"

"Hey!" Alice exclaimed.

Carlisle laughed and nodded, amused, but didn't comment. Alice pretended to pout for a second, but she erupted in a giggle as her dad ruffled her hair and gave her a wink.

"Is everyone ready to get going?" I don't know why I do that — ask questions when I really mean to give an order. "Let's hurry up and get there so we will have more time to play!" I added enthusiastically. I was not sure, but I thought I heard Rosalie sigh.

She was surprisingly stoic as we made our way toward the picnic site. Considering how honest she had been with me about her resentment of the trip, she was not complaining. I wondered what she might be feeling, however. She never uttered a word until we got to the wide-open space that rested on the lakeside.

The boys were laying down the large sheet on the grassy slope for us to sit on.

"So this is it — we walked for over an hour to sit on dirt overlooking the same lake that comes right up to your cabin's property?" she said to Bella, who was panting lightly beside her.

"It's got a better view," Bella offered. I tried not to eavesdrop, but I was so curious I couldn't help but sneak a peek of their conversation.

Rosalie's head made a tiny nod up in the air and she let her arms fall from across her chest with a sigh. Even with the sunglasses on I knew what movement her eyes were making.

"Looks like the same duck shit infested water to me!" she proclaimed.

A duck on the beach quacked as if to mock us.

Bella's hands rested on her hips and she squinted at Rosalie in disbelief. I felt my mouth hanging open and I immediately closed it and turned away. _Oh, wow!_ I was not sure if Carlisle overheard until he leaned into me with his arm around my waist and he softly muttered, "She's just protecting herself. Give her time. She'll come around."

I didn't acknowledge him out loud. I think my thick exhale of air told him I agreed with him. I couldn't let her mood deter me. Persistence and understanding was key — as was a positive atmosphere — for all the children.

"Alright, hand wipes to go around!" I called out holding up my trusty, travel-sized wipe dispenser.

The idea of germs never troubled me in my youth. I was the tomboy who would wear shorts under my skirts so I could climb trees all day long. I would scrape my knees and wear blisters into my hands and never thought to clean up when I moved onto the next activity. I would be smudged with dirt and filled with slivers, and I would just pick up my sandwich and eat. My mother was appalled at my behavior. She always told me I was going to get myself killed one day if I didn't smarten up. And yet, I survived.

However, _I_ was the mother now, so it was clean hands or no food. The way the kids intermingled with one another — and each one with their own set of school friends to catch things from — I was more cognizant of germ intervention. And it always bothered me to see any of them climbing trees, but I would not stop them for doing so. True, I had done myself in on my last climb in some ways, but I couldn't coddle my kids to the point of taking away their childhood. And I met Carlisle that day, so in hindsight it was a blessing.

Still… big trees, tall ones, were definitely out of the question for my youngsters! They knew how I felt about them being careless with their safety. They had all seen my six-inch scar marring my thigh where the surgeons had cut to screw in a titanium rod along my femur. Bella vowed to never touch another tree so long as she lived after she found out what happened to me. I told her that she needn't worry unnecessarily, but deep down I respected her survival instincts.

* * *

After lunch the boys brought out the football and began chucking it at each other. Alice wanted to play with them, so they were forced to be a bit gentler. Carlisle regulated their game, passing to Alice so the boys were able to use more force on him.

Bella turned down her invite to the game. She pulled out a paperback and stayed put on the blanket. I sat with her and expected Rosalie to do the same, but she had gotten up and crept away to the edge of the lake. It was not my intent to pry, but I couldn't help watch her gazing out on the lake distantly. She soon found a pile of rocks, big enough to sit on, and she climbed atop of them and hugged her knees — her back to us all.

"Bella?" I whispered.

Bella's eyes shifted and I knew she had heard me. Her tongue smacked on the roof of her mouth very lightly before she politely responded by turning her eyes up from her book.

"I'm sorry to take you away from your reading, dear, but would you do me a huge favor?"

She could always say no. However, knowing Bella, she wouldn't. I felt slightly guilty about asking for this reason.

"Sure," she mumbled warily as she closed her book and laid it neatly beside her.

I sighed. "Would you mind going over to Rosalie and seeing if she wants some company?"

"Uh…"

"I don't think Rosalie knows how to ask… or make the first move… so perhaps you can try to befriend her first," I suggested with a squeak. Bella was a fairly shy girl — not overly shy — but this was her family so she had the upper hand over Rosalie. And they were both the same age. In my mind, it only made sense for them to strike up a friendship.

"I… I think she wants to be alone, Mom," Bella whispered hesitantly, glancing over to Rosalie and then back to me.

I nodded. "She has the option of turning you down, but at least if you go over there and show her you are interested she will know she is not so alone."

"I dunno… she doesn't really seem to like me very well," Bella deliberated.

"I don't think that's true, dear. But if you were in her position — in a new home surrounded with new people — would you not want someone to try to make the effort to get to know you?"

Bella's face pinched and then she sighed. "Ya, okay."

"Thank you, darling. I would appreciate it so much," I told her and gave her a smile as she steadied herself upright and headed toward the lake shore.

I tried not to watch the transaction take place, but I was curious by nature so kept glancing over to the rock where Rosalie sat. Bella approached with caution, but I saw her stumble a bit and Rosalie looked back at her with some surprise. I was too far away to hear what was being said, but Rosalie seemed civil enough. Bella climbed up on the rock beside her, so that must be a good sign.

I tried not to stare.

The boys had put themselves in a triangle shape to throw to each other as Carlisle left their game. Alice was in the middle trying with all her might to get the ball from them. She was enjoying herself, regardless of how teasingly the boys taunted her with the football just out of her grasp. She was a good sport about it. Plus, it was a good way for her to burn off some of her never-ending energy.

"Oh, that's nice," Carlisle commented as he crumpled down next to me panting mildly. He eyed Bella and Rosalie with a smile.

"I think Rosalie might open up more if she feels like she has a friend. Perhaps she won't trust us right away, considering what she has been through, but Bella is her age. I hope they will find some things in common."

"Good thinking, love. You're always so thoughtful," Carlisle complimented me, and he laid his head in my lap. I wrapped my arms around his head and hugged him towards me — memories of this morning's shower still lingering pleasantly in my mind.

Our family getaway was finally getting started and taking this moment to relax and have my husband in my arms was a wonderful feeling. I loved our summers away from the city, away from school and the hospital. It was so peaceful out by the lake.

A screech jolted me out from my blissful reverie, followed by a sickening splash. Carlisle jumped up from my lap as I tried to focus my eyes on the kids. _One, two, three, four, five… where was Rosalie? Oh no! Where was Rosalie?_ I knew that there had been two girls on the rocks by the lake and now there was only one. Bella was on her hands and knees on the large boulder, with one hand over her mouth gazing into the water below her.

As I hurried over I saw Rosalie sitting in a few inches of water cradling her arm protectively. Her sunglasses were floating next to her and the tips of her pale hair were sodden in clumps. She was too surprised, I venture, to be upset just yet.

Carlisle reached the scene first. "Are you alright, sweetheart?" He asked them both, but he could see as clear as I that Bella was unharmed for once as she perched on the rock motionlessly. He reached a hand out to Rosalie as he carefully stepped on a few of the large rocks to get to her. "Come on, dear. I've got you."

She took it without hesitation and he pulled her out of the water. She gasped softly as his hand placed behind her elbow and I winced when I saw red water running off her hand and dripping off her fingertips. It pained me to see one of my babies hurt.

"Oh, my God! I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry," Bella cried, turning her face and jamming her eyes shut to avoid the gore. I could sympathize with her, blood made me a bit nauseous as well — especially when it was someone else's. I felt helpless to stop it — to stop the pain — but there was never a good time as a mother to be squeamish. I reached for Rosalie to help steady her, since her sandals were not helping her walk over the sharp rocks beneath her feet. I didn't see any other scrapes on her body, but she would surely be spotted with bruises tomorrow from the fall.

"Are you okay to walk, Rosalie? I didn't see what happened. Where does it hurt?" I inquired with a touch of panic seeping though my maternal calm. She shot me an angry glare. _It's not me she's angry with — she is just upset about having an accident._ Her resistance towards my affection was startling. I should know better by now and let Carlisle handle these situations — he was so much better at them being a doctor and all — but I cared so much it was hard to sit on the sidelines.

"Let's just get you out of the water and resting right over here," Carlisle led the way, ushering Rosalie towards a stone about the right height for her to have a seat on. He guided her down to sitting and knelt before her, assessing her with his eyes. He immediately began checking first to see if she had hit her head, but she was adamant she had not. Relieved it was only her arm giving her discomfort, Carlisle reached for her hand to inspect the long scrape that stretched nearly halfway between her elbow and wrist.

"I'm fine!" she told him, trying to wrench away from his grasp. She yelped and hugged her bleeding arm to her chest.

He leaned in slowly and waited patiently for Rosalie to look him in the eyes. Carlisle was not going to take no for an answer. "I'm just going to take a look at your arm — to see how deep the wound is and check its mobility. I'll be gentle."

Rosalie was reluctant, but with a quick glance to me and then back at Carlisle, she conceded. She heaved a sigh, and though her jaw held tight, she released her arm to him.

Carlisle got to work.

The shock must have worn off and blame and anger set in, and she was less concerned about her injury. "You!" she said exasperatedly to Bella. "You pushed me!"

I bet she meant to be more forceful with her accusation, but the timing didn't allow for it. And now we had an audience as the rest of the kids lined up to see what had happened.

Bella blushed deeply and her eyes filled with tears. "It was an accident. I didn't mean to."

"You have hated me from the moment I got here. I see the way you watch me. I make you nervous. So you push me into the lake? Real mature!" Rosalie accused.

"Now, I didn't see what happened, but-" I started.

Alice interrupted helpfully. "I saw it. I saw! Rosalie got up first and was trying to slide off the rocks to get down but then Bella got up too and bumped into Rosalie and knocked her into the lake," she shared with great speed and no pause for breath. I was like a bobble head, turning from Rosalie to Alice, to Bella, and the back to Rosalie again.

"Alright, dear, thank you," I told Alice. I gave Bella a soft smile and I stepped closer to the scene. Rosalie didn't say anything else… she just scowled and looked off into the distance. I was not choosing sides, but I couldn't let her blame Bella for what was just an unfortunate accident.

"Here, Dad," Edward said, holding out the first aid pack we always carried with us. He must have run off to grab it at some point. He was, after all, in charge of the fanny pack today.

"Thanks, Son." Carlisle took it from him and continued to clean up and bandage Rosalie's arm without a word. I could see from the way his forehead furrowed that he was concerned about something and he was being very tender in his efforts to not cause her any more pain.

"It was an accident, Rosalie — really. I'm sorry," Bella repeated as she slid off the rock and nearly fell on her face almost to prove a point. I caught her and helped her to stand. "I didn't mean to bump you. I don't know how I did it. I'm sorry." She was worried she was in trouble, but that was not the case. Accidents happen. I wished Rosalie would be the one to tell her she was forgiven, though it didn't seem likely. I put my arm around Bella to let her know she was safe.

"Whatever. All I fuckin' know is, I turned my back on you for one moment and suddenly I'm ankle deep in duck shit and my arm is fuckin' bleeding," was all she offered in response.

Emmett chortled to himself until Rosalie sent imaginary daggers at him with one hard look. Then she flinched at something Carlisle did to her arm and hissed quietly through her teeth. _Poor thing. _I was worried she may have broken something judging by the puffy appearance her arm was starting to take on.

"This had better not leave a scar!" she added.

"It's not too deep, sweetie. I have some skin adhesive back at the cabin that I will apply to help to close the wound. Once it heals a bit more we'll put some Vitamin E salve on it to minimize scaring," Carlisle told her patiently without admonishing her for swearing.

Not yet, anyway. If it persisted we would have to have a talk with her. We all knew the words and sometimes anger brought them out, but we didn't like to hear the kids speak this way, so coarse words of any sort were not permitted in our family. However, we didn't know a lot of Rosalie's background, and it was not the time to discuss this when she was injured.

"Ow!" she complained suddenly, pulling her arm back in pain when he squeezed her arm lightly. "That _really_ hurt!"

"I'm sorry, dear. I don't want to cause you anymore pain," Carlisle apologized. "I don't think you've broken anything, but I won't know unless you let me complete my examination. Please, give me your arm back — I am nearly finished. I will try to be more gentle."

Rosalie's eyes narrowed, but she did as she was told and let him finish up. Carlisle's gentle probing seemed to hurt her, but she didn't make another peep. It was pretty clear from her body language that she was in pain, though. She kept a constant eye on what was going on around her rather than answering Carlisle's inquiries.

"Would you please go pack everything up? I think we'd better head back," I instructed the kids. Rosalie didn't need an audience. She was more inclined to cooperate without prying eyes, I felt. Alice eagerly did as she was told and hurried away. The boys followed her lead.

"You too," I told Bella who seemed like she would rather crawl under a blanket somewhere and hide. I smiled at her and smoothed her hair as I let her go, hoping to cheer her up.

"How's does your arm feel, Rosalie? More painful when I do this?" Carlisle repeated himself as he extended her arm and bent it a little. This time, with the kids gone, she was less distracted. She winced and nodded. Then he asked her to wiggle her fingers and flex her hand and bend her wrist. She did so without too much trouble. I felt slightly uncomfortable standing there watching him work. While it was a joy to see him in his element, it made my stomach flutter nervously, as if I was insignificant for not being able to help.

"When I do this…" Carlisle squeezed her arm in several places. "…does it hurt more than when I bend your elbow?" He watched her for her response. She shrugged. "Is the pain dull or sharp?" he asked her patiently.

Rosalie appeared frustrated, but she responded nicely enough. "It's fine — dull, I guess — it hurts when you touch it, though!"

Carlisle smiled and nodded knowingly. "Yes, okay. I can take a hint," he chuckled. "I am done poking at you for now."

"Do we need to take her into town to see Dr. Beytell?" I asked.

Dr. Shelley Beytell was a friend and colleague of Carlisle's who ran a small medical clinic in the town. If Rosalie needed any x-rays or scans, we would have to take her there.

"In case we need to get your arm x-rayed, honey," I explained. Rosalie's eyes grew in horror.

"I don't think it will come to that." Carlisle's tone was reassuring as he placed a hand on her knee. "The bruising is close to the bone because the elbow has very little body fat to insulate it," he explained. Her nose crinkled at his words. "That is where the pain is coming from — that, and the swelling around the joint. There is a possibility of a fracture in there somewhere, or that you partially dislocated your elbow when you landed on it, but my instinct tells me it is only a sprain and some bruising."

He had her arm wrapped up and an ice pack ready to place on her elbow to help with the swelling that was already visible compared to her other arm. My face was in a permanent grimace as I stroked her other shoulder rhythmically. I felt so sad that this accident had to happen on her first day, after I had been the one to tell her she would have fun on the hike. I was sure this was not her idea of fun.

"It's not a big deal," she insisted, shivering as a breeze blew past us. In the shade it was not really warm enough to go without a light jacket. Rosalie had on even less clothing than was appropriate for the weather and now she was wet, too. She added, "As long as it doesn't leave any permanent damage — I don't care."

"Well, you'll be a bit sore for a few days, but like I said, nothing appears to be broken and the cut is minor. It's most likely a sprain. We'll ice it now and later this evening again to bring down the swelling. If there isn't improvement in the next forty-eight hours I will take you for an x-ray, dear. You'll have to wear your arm in a sling for a while to rest it," he explained to her.

Rosalie nodded somberly and watched him fashion a sling for her.

"For now, let's get you something a bit warmer to wear for the walk home," Carlisle spoke gently as he tied the brace around her neck and secured her arm inside. I was glad that my husband was well prepared for any injury when we took these family hikes. Usually it was Bella — much to her chagrin — who made use of the first aid kit, though. Rosalie was not any more pleased with the attention injury had brought her.

"Here," I offered my long sleeved sweater that I had tied around my waist. "Let me help you slip this on." Rosalie's annoyance was clear from her expression, but to her credit — this time — she held her tongue. She accepted my help slipping the garment over her head. She pushed her good arm through and left her other inside.

"Thanks," she replied robotically.

"You're welcome, sweetheart. Let's hurry home and get you cleaned up and into some dry cloths. We'll just take it easy for the rest of the day. If you want to read or play a game… whatever you'd like!" I tried to sound enthused.

"Aren't we going shopping?" she inquired with sincere curiosity. I hadn't thought she wanted to go with me to the store, but there was some disappointment in her tone now that caught me off guard.

Carlisle chuckled. "Now I know you're fine since you still have _shopping_ on your mind," he teased her as he helped her to stand.

"Of course, dear, if you are feeling up to it, we can still go to the store..." I looked at Carlisle and he gave a nod of approval — my worry for her lessened. "…if that is what you'd like to do?"

"I _want_ to go," she demanded bluntly. Carlisle's eyebrows rose at her bold tone.

_Beggars can't be choosers_, I thought and smiled to her when she looked up. I did want to have some time to get to know her better. I don't think she meant to be rude. She was a feisty girl — perhaps she was overcompensating for something — but we had yet to learn why she behaved this way. Carlisle and I, of course, had our suspicions, but we tried to remain open-minded and non-judgmental when it came to dealing with any of our children.

We couldn't expect Rosalie to be trusting of us already. That would be unreasonable. I wanted to spend some quality time with her to get to know her better. In spite of the few indiscretions she had displayed in the last few days, I felt a certain affection for Rosalie. I cared for her and knew she deserved my love and patience. I hoped — in time — she might feel the same way about our family.

I ushered her up the side of the slope where the others were almost finished packing up the picnic gear and agreed to her request.

"Then it's settled. Shopping it is - just you and me, kiddo!" It took a lot of effort to sound happy. I was exhausted already and it was barely past noon. _Please_, I prayed, _let this afternoon be more successful._

To Be Continued…

* * *

_Oh dear...someone went into the lake! **Who's side are you on? Was it really an accident, or is Bella just very sneaky? **Hehehe. I think you know the answer. I am just teasing. **What did you think of the chapter, really? **_

_Coming up next...Rosalie spends some quality time with Esme, but it is not quite what she is expecting. _

_**Thank you for reading. **_


	10. Chapter 10 True Colors

_Thank you to my betas, Cathaticone & RandomSugarRush! _

_Disclaimer: Obviously I am not Stephanie Meyer -- I am Marra -- and I am only borrowing her characters for this fan fiction. Please don't sue me._

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**Thorns**

**Chapter Ten  
**

I was beyond irritated that my arm was in a sling. I was not _that_ girl — you know… the wimpy, always injured, type. I was graceful — elegant in appearance, though 'hot' was more often what I was called. I was strong and sure, never letting myself fall. I rarely got ill; I hardly ever got injured, so this pissed me right off! She made me look weak and I, Rosalie Hale, was anything but.

_Stupid little twit_! I was still fuming.

Bella and her meddling..._ Why did she even bother coming over to befriend me?_ As if there was a possibility of the two of us being friends — we were nothing alike. She claimed to be trying to get to know me!

I bet one of her pretentious, goodie-two shoes parents put her up to it. Asking me personal questions and shit… _Well, fuck them!_ I was not about to go spilling every detail of my existence to a clumsy doormat of a girl. _Did they really think it would be that easy?_

I didn't feel sorry for Bella, if that was their game. If she didn't have any friends, that was her problem. I was not going to be her summer playmate!

I had to get away from them, and for some reason, Mrs Cullen was the lesser of all evils. That is why I insisted we keep our plans to take me shopping with her. One pair of judgmental eyes was better than seven. Although I don't think the blonde boy, Jasper, judged me. I got the feeling he knew my pain. He had this look of knowing — like he couldn't escape the torment that is around us all.

"It's not much further," he told me when I was feeling particularly pitiful on the walk back to the cabin. He didn't try to smile at me — to make it all better — this was just a fact. I jerked my head in gratitude, and that was the first time in a long time I felt truly appreciative to someone. I rather liked this Jasper kid. He was quiet and well-behaved, but he had an energy about him that made him seem dangerous somehow, like he was calming his conflicted emotions just enough. There was something in his eyes that told me he had secrets, too.

Finally, after what seemed like triple the amount of time it took us to walk to the picnic site, we arrived back at the cabin. The sun was still out, but being damp and dirty made the walk chilly and uncomfortable, since we were shielded by trees for the majority of the hike. Alice's mouth had not stopped the entire way. Perhaps she really did mean well when she asked me every two minutes if my arm was hurting. But I wished she'd cut it out!

Truthfully, my arm did hurt. It was nothing unbearable, but I was troubled knowing that there had been blood. No, I was not afraid of a little bit of blood — I loved horror, murder, revenge movies. The more suspense before the kill, the better. However, I didn't want to mark my skin in any way if I could help it. It could kill my career if I was not flawless in appearance. One scar in the wrong place could ruin me for life.

It was all Bella's fault. I don't see how it could it have been a mistake. Unless she really was so lame that she couldn't maneuver from sitting to standing without knocking me over. But it didn't make sense that she had accidently managed to bump me when we had been sitting several feet apart. I wanted so badly to prove she had tried to kill me. I wanted her to suffer for what she did!

Alas, she was not in trouble at all. Her family all vouched for her clumsiness and claimed she was always falling over her own feet._ Liars_, I thought. At first…

It pained me to admit — and I won't admit this to anyone who questions me — but as I watched her ahead of me on the trail, she did walk with a bit of an awkward flail. At first it seemed likely that she was putting on a show, but after a couple of air trips I began to see what the others were saying. Bella Cullen was a traveling disaster. This didn't surprise me too much, I had already made up my mind she was a loser — only now I couldn't argue what happened today was vindictive.

No matter... I still hated her guts. She had a weakness about her that made me sick.

And the way the lanky auburn-haired boy — Edward, as he was heinously named — catered to her every time she almost fell over made me want to hurl. I could tell, just by the way he looked at her when he thought he was being sly, that he wanted to get into her pants. It was sick, really. They were brother and sister — although I had figured out through loud-mouth Alice that only she, Bella, and Emmett were blood related — but it still made me struggle to hold down my lunch. She was nothing special at all! Why would he want _her_? Edward was too good for Bella. He was like me — talented, graceful, and far more attractive than the average person. If he was sane, he should be looking at me! Clearly, he was a moron.

Back at the cabin, I got changed and Esme hovered around me insisting she help me in and out of my clothes. I probably could have figured out a way to dress without her help, but washing and drying my hair would have been a challenge — and I was too cold to argue — so I let her into the bathroom to aid me.

She was gentle and took her time, making sure she got my hair how I liked it, which surprised me. No one had ever spent so much time with me before without having an ulterior motive.

I don't know what Esme's plan was yet. She didn't need me for companionship—she had Carlisle and the other kids. She didn't need me for business — she was a law abiding professional, after all. She didn't really need me for anything. She could cook, clean, and manage her family without employing help. I could only think that she may have wanted to show me off like some sort of prize, but somehow she didn't strike me as the socialite type or as one who was overly vain about appearances, though she was neat and tidy enough —and pretty in a classic sense.

Esme Cullen had me stumped — almost as stumped as I was over her gorgeous husband.

He kept his word and tended to the gash on my forearm with some skin glue as soon as I was cleaned up. I was quite nervous to let him come so close, but Esme was by my side the entire time so I allowed it. He was so gentle with me and didn't say one word about what happened earlier with the sunscreen.

Not only was Carlisle oddly kind to me, he had not made one indication that he found me attractive yet — at all — and I had been living under his nose for two days now. _What gives?_ Normally, the husband would make eyes at me when his wife was not looking. And then, subsequently, the wife would start to hate me!

No, I didn't understand them at all.

Carlisle insisted I wear the stupid sling for a few days until he was certain the injury was healed, and that was it. He smiled, patted me on the shoulder, and let me be.

Neither he nor Esme scolded me for swearing at their precious Bella. I could tell that the Cullens didn't like it when I used such foul language. They cringed ever so slightly every time I used a harsh word. That is why I was so surprised I was not being admonished for dropping the F-Bomb today in my anger.

They were the opposite of angry with me — they were being too nice. That usually meant something was up. I was glad that we were further out from the big city so if they planned to get rid of me I would have enough time to pack properly. I was generally very good at sensing when my time was up with a family, and even though I expected the Cullens to be fed up with me by this time, they didn't show any signs of it. It made me a tiny bit anxious.

I had to come to the conclusion that this family was not normal! What was with all the touching? Hugging, kissing, petting, and pats on the shoulder — it was weird and made me want to bite off their hand as they neared me.

Sigh… This arrangement was not going to last, that I was certain of. I could not be the little angel they expected of me — I could not be like their precious Bella.

That is why I was so intent on going shopping for new shoes and such. I needed to stock up while I still could. If they grew to dislike me like the others all had, then they might not be willing to take me shopping in a couple of days or a weeks' time. Who knows where I would be headed after my stay with the Cullens — and not every home was willing to spend their money on me.

"Are you sure you are feeling up to going out, love?" Esme asked me for the _millionth_ time as we were heading out the door.

She was being so clingy since I hurt myself… Or more appropriately — since I was so ruthlessly pushed into the lake by her retard of a daughter. I was not going to sue, if that is what she was worried about! She wrapped her arm around my good shoulder and stroked my silky hair.

My body tensed. _Fuck! Just leave me alone! _

Esme flinched as if she had heard my thoughts.

Suddenly, I felt horrible for thinking those words, even if I had not actually said them to her. She was being so nice and that frightened me because I couldn't understand her motive. I nodded my head instead of saying anything that could be considered rude.

I think my hesitation confused her into thinking I was in pain.

"You don't have to play it down, Rosalie. If you are hurting you can tell us. I can take you into town with me another day if you would rather rest," she repeated.

"It doesn't hurt that much," I told her, noticing how the others watched me suspiciously — as if I was making shit up, or something. I fell from above ground level onto jagged rocks! _Cut me some slack, people. It hurts, but I am not going to die!_ The ice pack had helped to dull the ache for the time being, so I was not lying. Besides, I didn't want the other kids to think I was some sort of cry baby so I was not about to make a huge fuss.

"I'm glad. Okay… let's get this show on the road then, shall we?" she said as she pulled out a set of keys from her tan purse and ushered me to the door.

"We'll be gone for a few hours. Don't fill up on junk while I am out, you guys. We'll bring supper home!" she told the others as I exited the cabin and walked towards the clunkin' SUV. Soon we were inside, buckled up, and on the road.

*

*

*

"Do you have a bathing suit with you?" Esme asked me as we passed a rack of swimwear. She was holding the shoebox with the only pair or running shoes in the store I would consider wearing. They were plain white and simple, but they were Pumas so they had a decent style to them. I didn't mean to pick the most expensive pair. Even so, Esme didn't bat an eyelash at the price.

"Yes," I replied right away as I saw the sparse selection of colorful one-pieces that no one under the age of fifty should wear.

I had several bikinis, in fact. When Mr. Newly gave me his credit card I went a little bit crazy with summer essentials. He probably hadn't even received his credit card bill yet. _Haha, sucker!_ That's what he deserves for ogling me every time Rebecca was not in the room with us. He had to pay for my silence, that was a given.

The clothing choices were just as hideous. "Maybe we should get you a couple of t-shirts and shorts that will go with your new shoes," Esme suggested, holding a plain white shirt up to me to inspect its size.

_Oh, hell, no!_

I smiled weakly and shook my head as I stepped away. She had taken me to a sort of all-in-one general store off of Route 30 that sold a little bit of everything. I was not impressed with the selection of practical outer wear that they sold. I didn't need a cotton t-shirt or khaki shorts! No, correction… I didn't _want_ a cotton t-shirt or khaki shorts to go with my brand new, white running shoes.

"Well, if you think you can make do with the outfits you have…"

"I will…" I said out loud. I finished the thought in my head_ …I have to_. There was just no way I would let myself be seen in anything so plain! This was not the kind of shopping I had been expecting. I did my best to hide my disappointment.

"Alright… if you're sure, then we should get going. We still need to stop at the supermarket on the way home." She smiled.

I agreed.

There was nothing that this store could sell me that I would wear. I was loath to let her buy the running shoes except that my feet were already killing me from walking in strappy sandals all day. I would have to wear the dreadful sporting shoe if I was going to spend any more time outside. And if I had to wear runners, I would just pray not to run into any casting agents that day. Luckily, the chances of that happening were slim to none what with being all the way out in the sticks of Upstate New York.

"How are you holding up, honey?" Esme asked with concern as we hit the check out. No line up — I think we were the only two customers in the store.

"Fine."

"You're looking a bit…" She paused to touch my cheek gently — my eyes narrowed at her accusation that I was not looking my best. "Achromatic," she suggested cautiously.

I had no idea what that word meant and I think she knew it.

"Is your arm hurting you again?" she asked, sounding genuinely worried about me.

"Just a bit… I hope nothing is broken," I told her. I surprised myself by answering her so openly. She gave me a sympathetic nod that made me regret it.

"Have you ever broken a bone before?" she inquired.

"No." I shook my head and hugged my arm closer to my body.

"Well, I am pretty sure you would know if your arm was broken. When I broke my leg…believe me…I knew it!" She was not a medical professional so this should do nothing to ease my concerns, but it somewhat soothed my nerves to hear her say it.

"How did you break your leg?" I asked as she paid the lady at the cash register.

Esme had a perma-smile on her lips as she thanked the woman and took the bag containing my runners. We began toward the exit as she spoke. "I feel out of a tree."

Esme sighed lightly and started to play with my hair again with her free hand. I don't think she was aware she was doing it, because when I reached up and swept all my hair over the opposite shoulder, she lost her train of thought for a moment. She dropped her hand and smiled as she carried on with her story.

"I liked to be alone when I read…" I think my face expressed my confusion, because she laughed and explained, "When I was a little girl I used to climb up into this weeping willow we had on our property and hide from my parents so I could read instead of going to ballet class or having tea with my mother and all her high society friends. My mother's a good woman, don't get me wrong, but she is slightly elitist. I was such a tomboy in my youth, she was constantly nagging at me to act more ladylike."

I squinted in thought, trying to imagine Esme dressed up in a classic, v-neck, a-line dress with short sleeves and a sash around the waist. With her figure, she would look so lovely, like a model from the 40's or 50's.

I snapped out of my daydream and scanned her up and down. Her simple outfit of pink and beige was a bit rumpled and she had some mustard on her shorts — who knows if Esme spilled on herself or if Alice's greasy, clingy fingers were the cause. Esme didn't look like a model at all. She looked like a regular, run of the mill mom — but to her credit, she was a nice looking woman. I'd give her that.

"Well, I never grew out of my habit," Esme continued as she put the bag into the back seat of the Suburban so we didn't have to carry it inside the market with us.

"When I was going to college I preferred an old oak off campus grounds over a stuffy library. I was normally apt when scaling the large tree, but that day I had a temporary loss of deftness — accidents do happen, I guess — and I fell from about twelve feet. It broke my femur right in two. That's this bone…" she explained, pointing to her thigh.

_Ouch._

"It was very painful. I couldn't stand. No one was around — I had chosen a pretty secluded piece of land to study on — and it was getting dark. After hours of trying to drag myself closer to campus I began to give up and wish for the pain to stop… not caring how that came about."

I nodded weakly, feeling sick thinking about how scary that would be.

"But…" she chirped, suddenly perking up, "a dashing Pre-Med student came to my rescue. I must have passed out, because suddenly — like a dream — he was hovering over me, the moonlight was casting this glow around him, and you can only imagine what I thought."

I nodded.

"Carlisle was so stunningly beautiful — God-like — and I was very aware that it was a miracle he had found me before the night-time temperature had dropped any further."

"So… he saved your life then?" I was in awe. I had always thought these sort of romances only happened in fairytales.

"In more ways than one, yes," Esme answered without hesitation, smiling peacefully.

She exhaled with a little humming noise and continued. "I remember the look on his face as he assessed me. He was so gentle with me, yet sure of himself, even at his young age, and I felt instantly at ease in his care. Then he did something that would have made me swoon if I had not been in so light-headed from exhaustion and pain already…"

Esme had a very cheeky grin on her face as she recalled the event.

"What?" I asked, drawn in to her story. "What did he do?"

We had entered the supermarket and Esme took out a cart to push. She patted the handle and I appeased her by putting my free hand there as we walked into the produce section.

"Well," she smiled. "He had wrapped his jacket around me to keep me warm so all he had on was his t-shirt…"

I gave her an impatient look to continue.

"…which he stripped out of and ripped apart to stabilize my leg with — just his t-shirt and some tree branches he had found nearby!" Esme exclaimed as if it was the first time she had told the story, which I was almost certain it wasn't.

_Wow…_ It sounded like a scene from a movie.

Esme giggled merrily as she gathered some apples into a bag. "I had not realized I had been crying until he used the last piece of his torn garment to wipe away my tears. He is such a kind soul. He laughs at me now for this, but I told him right then and there that I loved him."

"Really?" That was bold of her to do…Maybe she _was_ crazy?

"Oh, yes. And I meant it, too. It was not just the shock talking," she laughed, but she was dead serious about the meaning.

I felt my lips twitch into an appreciative smile as she handed me the bag of apples to place in the cart. It was a very romantic story. Esme had to be making most of it up. _Right?_

"What did he say when you told him that you loved him?" I asked quietly.

"He told me not to worry, that he would take care of me."

I looked up at her face as we walked along the isle beside the fresh tomatoes. She was smiling fondly as she collected a handful of them and delicately placed each one into a bag.

She turned to me and finished, "And he has never stopped taking care of me since that day." There was so much warmth in her voice — so much… love.

It hit me like a ton of bricks.

I know I was supposed to say something positive and uplifting like, "I guess it was meant to be," or, "That is such a sweet story," but I couldn't seem to push the words out of my mouth. I felt this rush of envy burn inside me.

Esme placed the bag of tomatoes into the cart and stroked my arm before we carried on, dropping the subject.

The story had put me in a reticent mood.

I had forgotten what a bore grocery shopping was. To Esme's credit, she didn't dawdle, but it still took nearly three-quarters of an hour to pick out everything anyway. It might not have been so grating if Esme had not told me who – and why – each item was for and how come she couldn't buy canned foods because Bella was deathly allergic to celery. It is not as if I cared as long as they didn't force me to eat hot dogs again or drink their fatty milk.

Esme was kind enough to purchase a carton of organic soy milk for me and some no-fat yogurt cups for breakfast.

Then, at the checkout, she tried to tempt me by offering me a treat of my choosing for going with her. I tried not to literally curl up my nose to the rack of sweets in front of me. I refused like she had offered me the plague and I could tell she thought I was being ridiculous, but I didn't care. I had to watch my weight if I wanted to succeed. Without my looks, I was nobody!

When we got the groceries loaded into the car and we got in to our seats she passed me a package of sugar-free gum and winked kindly at me as I searched for something to say.

"Thanks," seemed to be the best response for her thoughtful gesture. I liked gum.

*

*

*

"You're very quiet," Esme pointed out as we drove the long stretch of highway back towards Blue Mountain Lake. "Are you feeling, alright?"

"I guess." I was not sure how to reply. I clicked a piece of gum over my tongue to fill the silence.

"I don't mind," she said. "The quiet is nice for a change. With a house full of school-aged kids, Carlisle and I hardly ever have moments where we have one on one time with each child. It is nice, don't you think? I have enjoyed our afternoon together very much. Thank you for coming along."

Now is when I am expected to spill my insides to the new foster mom. It was the conversation that typically rears itself on the first evening, and I must have been foolish to think I got away without having it.

There were two ways of dealing with new foster mom/foster kid chat. I could tell her to go take another hike and refuse to share anything with her — only I hated letting Lily off the hook — or I could tell the truth and have her hate me. She would probably kick me out of her home if she knew the truth about what I have done. If she thought I was lying she would probably just patronize me for spreading the gruesome tales.

I couldn't tell her everything, but I was so tired of keeping quiet and letting my mom get away with what she did. Either way the truth sucked so I might as well see how this one would react. "What do you want to know?" I bluntly asked.

"Um…" She feigned confusion. I wish she'd cut the bullshit. I knew she was curious about me.

"That is what you want; right — to get to know me?"

"Yes!" She said it too quickly, like I might change my mind. Only she didn't sound desperately eager. She took her eyes off the road for a couple of seconds and glanced at me. "I don't want to make you feel like you have to, but it would be lovely to get to know you better."

"Okay." I sighed and hugged my waist with my strong arm. "What do you want to know?"

"I would like to know — everything — um, let me think…" she stuttered, probably not expecting me to be so open. It was new for me too, but I thought I should give her a chance. Esme was not Rebecca Newly — or any of the other wives. And she was not one of the foster husbands, so I doubted she would try to take advantage of me here in the car once she knew what I was.

Finally, after a long, thoughtful pause, she asked, "What do you want to do with your life?"

"Do?" I asked, seriously stunned this was her question and not the reason I ran away from home.

"Yes. Do you have an idea what you would like to do career-wise? Or would you like a big family? Do you want to travel? What interests you? What motivates you?"

_Oh crap!_ No one ever asked me what _I_ wanted before.

"I — I want to model… first," I told her so softly she might not have heard me. I was prepared for her to laugh.

"You would make such a lovely model, Rose. You are graceful and have such an elegant figure. Clothes were made for girls like you."

I had never heard my figure called "elegant" before, though it was the truth. She made my choice of career sound tasteful and less superficial.

"Well, ya. I mean… thanks," I replied brokenly. I was not sure why she was being so supportive. Even if she was lying and thought it was vain of me to want to model, she sure didn't show those feelings.

"And after you model, then what will you do?" She asked. She turned to me when I hesitated. "You said, first you wanted to model… Then what?"

"Um, well… I also want to pursue a… singing… career," I said, feeling like my heart had just expanded in my chest and was about to burst of fright. _Why was I telling her this?_

"You're musical?" Esme asked, elated. She was beaming ear to ear as we rounded the off the highway onto the road that went around the lake.

I nodded subtly.

"Oh, that is wonderful! I should have known you would be a singer. You have a tone to your voice that reminds me of wind chimes. I am sure you sing beautifully."

She was too pleased with this reveal. I felt my vision blur and my stomach get queasy. I had made a mistake confiding in her.

"Music brings us to life, don't you think? Sometimes when it is hard to express how we feel, singing or playing an instrument can be so beneficial. How long have you been singing?" She carried on excitedly.

"A while." I was not about to tell her how I got started and who I sang for. Not unless I had to.

"Well, I know you are still feeling shy around all of us — you're probably not used to being around such a large, boisterous group — but we would so enjoy hearing your voice sometime."

"Oh, I don't… I can't…" I immediately felt it was a mistake for telling her so much.

We were just pulling into the long drive that leads to the cabin. The sun was setting behind the mountains on the other side of the lake, and the logs of their home seemed so warm and inviting in the glow, but that is what made my stomach tighten and my head spin.

I felt her hand on my thigh as she parked the car. I hesitantly faced her. "If you are not ready, I understand."

"It's just… I used to sing. I haven't since…" I stopped myself and looked at her hand on my leg. My eyes wouldn't blink. "But I still want to… one day."

"Of course, you will sing when you're ready. Never think that we will make you do anything that will cause you pain, Rose. We want to help you and if there is ever a time — day or night — you need or want to talk about… anything… we will listen," she told me in a gentle voice. "I know you don't feel like you can trust us yet, but perhaps in time, once you get to know us, you will feel more like talking about what it is you are so afraid of."

"Didn't you talk to Clara? Didn't she tell you everything?" I asked, my voice cracking. I felt so tired and weak. I hated myself for it, but my eyes began to gloss over with tears.

"Carlisle and I did meet with Clara, yes…" she told me honestly. "Whatever she told us, though, was not her story to tell. Carlisle and I don't make any assumptions when it comes to our children. We want you to be the one to come to us to share your story. We don't expect you to tell us right away, but if you want us to know the truth… you are the only one who can tell it."

I hated that she referred to me as one of her children. It was far too presumptuous of her to think I would be around for that long.

I sighed and was finally able to close my eyes to keep the tears inside. The salt water burned beneath them as my punishment.

"There are things in life we all wish we could forget, but they do not go away just by keeping them hidden," she said lowly. I had to gaze up and away to stifle the tears that were threatening to fall again. "When you're ready, dear…"

And we just sat there in the vehicle for what seems like hours.

Finally, minutes later, when I had gotten a better grasp on my emotions and was not about to puke or start bawling, I turned to her and said, "I guess we should go inside."

To Be Continued…

* * *

_**Any thoughts? How did you enjoy the story Esme told? Why do you think it upset Rosalie so much to hear it? Esme is making progress with Rosalie...how do you think Rosalie will behave when she is one on one with Carlisle in the future? **_

_Coming up next...Rosalie uses Emmett at her personal butler and her mouth finally gets her into some trouble with Carlisle. _

**_Thank you for reading. _**

_*There is a sketch of Esme and Carlisle as a couple now posted on my profile and my deviantART gallery. Nothing is showing, but it would be rated M as a precaution. :)  
_


	11. Chapter 11 One Down

_Thank you to my skilled beta readers, Catharticone and RandomSugarRush for all their help. :)_

_Disclaimer: I am only borrowing Stephanie Meyer's characters and making them human for this story...I own nothing... no copyright infringement intended.  
_

* * *

**Thorns**

**Chapter Eleven  
**

Sunday, July 5th, 2009

A week had gone by, though it felt like a lot longer to me. My arm had gone through all stages of the bruise rainbow and was now a squash yellow color that clashed hideously with my aquamarine halter I was wearing today. The skimpy shirt that showed my bellybutton was not necessary, except I wanted to freak out the boys — Edward in particular. That boy was such a prude!

Jasper was curious, and looked, but he was polite enough not to say anything or gawk. He was eleven, so I didn't bother with him too much, though he obviously had taste since he could take the time to enjoy what I had to offer. His little ball and chain, Alice, was also one to gawk, but she admired me as a role model of sorts. She followed me around like a little puppy when she was not attached to Jasper's hip!

Emmett was actually fun to play around with. I found that his reactions were the most amusing and not as threatening as I first presumed. I could tell he liked what he saw, but he often ran away from me when I made eye contact with him. I sometimes caught him checking me out with sly eyes whenever he had the chance, though.

But his stupid brother, Edward, really bothered me! I was being so nice to him… but he never paid me any interest at all — not even a glance of longing in his hormonal, teenage eyes! If I couldn't get a rise out of him soon, I would have to guess he was hiding in the closet.

He and Bella were always whispering in a corner somewhere. She was no doubt spreading lies about me — telling him things she had no business knowing, but I was almost certain the whole family knew I was a whore.

That is why I didn't try to hide it anymore. If they knew, and Esme had so much as told me that Clara had warned them about my ways, then why should I hide my body? It was the only asset I had to use as a weapon. Well… that and my mouth. My temper had gotten the best of me numerous times in the past week. Dr. Cullen had already given me the obligatory "In our family we don't use coarse language" speech.

_Well, fuck you, Mr. I Never Lose My Temper! I like to swear when I am angry. It fuckin' helps me deal! _

Anyway...

I was trying to tone my attitude down a bit and be well-behaved — not because I needed to suck up to these people, but because I was enjoying the weather out by the lake. There was no reason to get myself kicked out of their home just yet.

In spite of being trapped with the Brady Bunch, I enjoyed the serenity of not having neighbors or cars making noise. All I had to put up with was Emmett and Alice taunting each other, Bella falling on her face every once and a while, and Edward playing his guitar, which I was growing accustomed to. Jasper was practically invisible unless I made the effort to pick him out of the group.

I liked sitting on the dock with my feet in the crisp, clear water. It was so peaceful and easy — and for the first time in years I could catch my breath.

The Cullens were irritating as hell, but at least they lived well and bought me the foods I liked and didn't force me to talk about Lily or Royce. When they got upset with me for something I had done to one of their precious kiddies, they never punished me. I couldn't believe my luck!

I didn't like to cry, but it turned out a very useful tool to use on Esme. She responded to tears like a kitten does to milk. She would latch on and not let go of me until I stopped. Then, whatever it was she was about to scold me for, seemed obsolete. She had somehow gotten the idea we were "bonding" and, "making progress."

_What progress?_ This last week, I had been groped by their son, injured by their daughter, and then humiliated by Esme herself.

I was certain she was laughing behind my back about my dream to become a singer. I should never have told her that I used to sing. Now, when they were all singing together around the fire, I would catch her smiling at me eagerly as if that was going to make me jump in and join the chorus of Kumbaya. If she knew how scary it was to sing for anyone who wasn't a middle-aged married man — whose preference was pretty, young girls — she would understand the reason behind my silence.

Her husband was no better. Not only was Carlisle a little bit too eager to "examine" my arm every frickin' day, but he was acting a bit stalkerish. He was eerily calm, superficially kind, and overly-interested in me. I was nervous to be near him without anyone else present.

He was so calm, even when I screamed at him, that I was sure he was saving up his frustrations to really use against me when he caught me on my own. He watched me with his piercing blue eyes, feigning compassion for what I could only assume was plotting how he could use me to his advantage. That is what people are like — they never give you something without wanting something in return.

I didn't trust men like him: educated, successful, well-dressed, well-versed, and wealthy with a good reputation. Royce was all those things too, but he turned out to be the devil in disguise. Maybe I'm overly dramatic when it comes to my assumptions, but it was better to be on the safe side. Dr Cullen had not actually done anything out of line per se, but he had also never been left alone with me, so perhaps he was just waiting to get his chance — buttering himself up so when he struck against me, anything I said would be considered hostile and unbelievable.

Yes... I was going to be well-behaved. That is what I told myself every morning before I had to face them again. It was day eight and I had survived the first week. If only I could bite my tongue whenever I was annoyed with one of them, I would be in better shape. Unfortunately for me, the limelight was not something I could escape with a presence like mine — and when put under pressure, I lost sight of my manners.

Besides all my best efforts, Bella was getting on my nerves even more so lately — always baiting me — and I was sure she was going to be my demise. I don't know why she cared so much when Emmett did the dishes without me or fetched things whenever I beckoned him. He was my buddy after all — and he liked it when I gave him orders. I wished she would back the hell off! I was not about to let her rule over me. Rosalie Hale does not back down from a fight, so Bella had better be prepared for war if she wanted to mess with me!

* * *

"Hey Rosalie, do you want anything while I am up?" Emmett asked from behind the couch where I was lounging with a book. He beamed eagerly down upon me with a flashy smile that showcased his adorable man-dimples — they made him look like a cherub.

I returned his smile with one of my own.

"Something to drink? A blanket?"

"Well, I am a bit chilly..." I decided. I might as well put him to use if he is willing.

"You got it!" And in a flash, he was back with an afghan. "May I?" he inquired holding it out above my legs. I nodded and lifted my arms up so he could spread the blanket across my lap.

"Thank you," I told him. If he had a tail it would have been wagging spastically in response to my praise.

"No problemo, buddy!"

"Nice," Edward scoffed from across the room where he and Jasper were playing checkers at the table.

"She was cold," Emmett replied as he flopped down on the other end of the couch. I felt my body fly up a bit from the impact, but I had expected it this time. The last time he had done that he had made me spill my drink. Carlisle had not been happy with my "colorful diction" when I had called the big brute out.

I suppose now, in hindsight, he had not meant to startle me. He was not clumsy — like his retarded sister, Bella — but he was like a bull in a china shop. His size made it hard for him to squeeze by other people without him bumping into them or items nearby.

"W-H-I-P-P-E-D," Edward spelled out.

The look on Emmett's face as he sounded out the letters in his mind was adorable. It hurt my face to contain its smile. Then he shook his fist at his brother and repeated, "She was cold, dude."

"Her shower was cold this morning too," Alice informed everyone as she bounded into the living room from outside.

I don't know how she did it or what planet she was from, but Alice was a creepy little know-it-all.

She, Bella and their parents had gone for a walk, but they must have returned. I felt my mouth tighten in disappointment and I automatically clenched my teeth as I recalled this morning's icy shower. For some reason this house was incapable of retaining enough hot water to last past nine in the morning.

"Well, she should have gotten up earlier then," Bella said scornfully.

Bella was back from her walk too, it seemed. _Oh, joy!_ The little bitch was a thorn in my side.

"All of our showers were warm enough!" she added.

"Someone would have gotten the cold shower, though," Jasper pointed out after he skipped over one of Edward's red pieces. "If she had gone earlier, then Emmett would have been last."

"Brrr!" Emmett shuddered at the thought and his brothers laughed. Edward took out a whole load of Jasper's black pieces, ending their game.

"Perhaps we should make a schedule. Some of you can shower in the morning and others in the evening. That way everyone has the benefit of warm water," Esme suggested pleasantly as she motioned for me to move over so she could sit beside me. I obliged — I didn't plan to sit for much longer. The room was getting crowded.

"Well," I began in my most pleasant voice as I stood and folded the afghan over the armrest. "I'm pretty sure that everyone could have had a warm shower if some people wouldn't have spent nearly twenty minutes using up the hot water first thing this morning."

Oh, the look on Esme's heart-shaped face was just priceless. I didn't have to say any more for her to know that I knew what she and Carlisle did every morning. It was pretty obvious, even without hearing them.

I felt the smug sense of satisfaction as I smiled at her and walked away from the group. Carlisle didn't say anything as I passed by him, but he did not look happy. Oh, well. It wasn't like I was telling a lie. Those two thought they were so sly with their morning love-sessions in the shower. It was silly of them to think that none of us knew what they were doing up there — both of them being unavailable for one third of an hour while the water was running upstairs — I was not born yesterday!

I knew that I would be interrupted shortly so I was prepared when there was a knock at the bedroom door. "Rosalie? May I come in?" I heard Carlisle through the wood. _Oh, shit! _I had hoped it would be Esme – who was easier to sway — but instead he was going to chastise me.

"I guess so." I was not happy about it.

The door opened and he let himself inside before he closed it behind him again. My heartbeat quickened. I put my book down on the bed beside me so I would be prepared with both hands if he got too close. There were no witnesses. That thought made my stomach flop.

"We need to talk."

"Fine," I said clearly, trying to push away the shaky feeling that would have surely quaked my knees if I had been standing. I would not let him think he could treat me like some small child who would cower at his whim. I was not his own — well, neither were his other kids, but they seemed to treat them like they had known them since infancy — and I didn't owe him anything. I was their summer charity case — their rental kid for a few months to fulfill their good deed quota for the year.

He approached me slowly, which was wise of him. Then he came to sit next to me, as in right beside me, but I backed myself into the headboard and faced him instead. My eyes were narrowed and he appeared fuzzy through my thickly mascara-laced lashes.

"Rosalie..."

"What?" I started. It felt like I couldn't breathe. "What is it now? Are you here to tell me to leave? 'Cause I don't care. If you-"

"We don't want you to leave, sweetheart. That is not the case at all," he jumped in and interrupted me. His tone was set to calm, even when rushed. "Please don't think that we would ask you to leave. You are welcome here."

"Well, what then?" I asked hesitantly, fearing the worst now.

"You don't know why I came to speak with you just now?"

He was testing me. Of course I knew what set him off. I was there. I had said it.

"No," I lied.

His eyes flickered oddly for a split second. It sparked my survival instincts and I leaned away from him even more, my back pressed tightly to the headboard of the bed.

"I didn't swear. I didn't push anyone down. I was just sitting in there reading a book. What could I have possibly done that requires a private lecture from you?"

"What you said to Esme in the living room a few moments ago," he said matter-of-factly, "was terribly rude and uncalled for."

"Oh, you mean the truth?" I challenged him.

His mouth was parted a bit and he licked his dry lips as he thought.

"It is nothing to be ashamed of, right? You two are married. I guess it is a good thing you still want to fuck each other every day. Especially wh-"

"Enough!" He raised his voice for the first time since I had met him.

I had hit a nerve. I was surprised he was not angrier, though — he just sat there.

Carlisle's blue eyes were so intense; they almost reminded me of Royce. The thought of him sent my heart into over-drive and I gulped back a breath. I couldn't have said another word if I wanted to.

"What Esme and I do in private is our business. We are very careful to be discrete. I am not sure how exactly you knew or if you were just making a bold guess, but it was not okay to share our private moments publically for the intention of causing hurt. It was cruel and uncalled for, Rosalie. I am sorry if we have made you uncomfortable in any way, but the way you handled this situation was inappropriate and I would like an apology."

_An apology? Who does he think he is?_ I don't make apologies for myself... ever!

"I am not apologizing to you," I shot back boldly. "I have nothing to be sorry for."

"I am a very forgiving man, Rosalie. I don't need an apology to forgive you and to move on from this. I know your cruelness comes from a dark place inside you that you turn to when you are scared."

I felt my chest tighten and a thick chill of undeniable truth shook me to my very core. He had hit my nerve now. I tried to speak, but all I could do to appear untouched was scoff and look away.

"Esme is not as confident as I am," he said gently. "She wears her heart out in the open. If you hurt her, she will worry over it, wondering what it is she has done wrong to make you act that way. I'm asking you nicely, to please think about what you said and consider her feelings. When you are ready to have a moment alone with Esme, let her know that you are sorry for speaking to her so callously when all she was trying to do was to help you."

His peaceful composure enraged me further.

"Or what?" I challenged, finding my voice again, shaky as it was. "You can't ground me. Unless you plan to starve me or beat me there is nothing you can do to me that can make living here any more horrible!"

"You may not be happy to be here — you may be angry, hurt, or scared — but I will not allow you to disrespect anyone in this household. We are family, Rosalie. While you are here, if you choose to push everyone away, then that makes me very sad. We want you to be happy, but you have to do some of the ground work. We can't make you feel welcome if you won't let us."

His hand reached out towards my legs and I panicked — a reflex — throwing myself back and huddling tighter into a ball, craning my head to the right. My arm banged into the headboard and I yelped, tucking it into my chest to soothe it. Nothing followed so I blinked and relaxed my neck to face him again. His face was not malicious, but instead he was frozen, studying me cautiously — he appeared sad, his eyes were much softer now. His hands were hovering above his own lap now, unmoving.

"I'm sorry," he told me. "I didn't mean to startle you. It was not my intent to harm you in any way, I can assure you."

"Just don't touch me," I warned, still holding onto myself tightly. If he wanted to touch me he would have to pry my body free. My hand that held my legs to my chest was numb and tingling — my fingers were white. My left arm ached dully, too, reminding me of its injury as it was being squished too tightly.

"I won't... not without your permission, darling," he agreed. There was a long pause before he continued speaking. "Rosalie. Are you alright?"

No. I wasn't. I wished he would leave me alone. "Ya," I told him, hoping that would be enough.

"Do you need — or want — to talk about… it?"

I shook my head firmly. I hated that we both knew what "it" was, but neither had the courage to say "it" out loud.

Esme told me that they had found out some of my story from Clara, but that it had not been detailed and I wondered what it was that Dr. and Mrs. Cullen knew. _How much had Clara told them?_ I had tried to tell her everything — once — but after the police hadn't believed my story I had lost faith in other people and Clara didn't get as much from me as I could have divulged. I didn't want to tell anyone the whole story in case they took Lily and Royce's side of the story — that I was a whore.

Carlisle seemed to be okay with me turning him down. He wasn't leaving, though, and the way he was studying me made me nervous.

"Did you hurt your arm again, sweetie?"

My eyes narrowed. I didn't like being called "sweetie" and he knew that. Neither he nor Esme could seem to control themselves when it came to lovey-dovey nicknames for everyone. He seemed non-threatening enough — at the moment, at least— so I conceded with a sigh and I relaxed my posture a bit.

"It's fine."

He nodded and took my word for it, thank goodness. "Would you like some ice for your elbow? You hit it pretty hard on the headboard."

"No. I — I'm ok." I looked down, finally letting go of my legs, so I could view my elbow — nothing bleeding, nothing broken, at least not on the outside. I certainly didn't want any cause for Dr. Cullen to make me wear that hideous blue sling again. He had finally let me out of it a couple days ago when all the swelling was gone for good and I hadn't winced when he poked at it.

"Is there anything I can do for you right now?"

He was so damn considerate it was mind-boggling — literally, my brain throbbed trying to understand why he came off so pristine. I didn't know which side of the room was up when I was with Dr. Cullen. He was like some martian from Mars. Men were not supposed to be so perfect, but Carlisle presented as the prefect husband and father.

"I just need to be alone for a while," I told him.

He smiled tentatively and slowly stood up. "I will give you some time to yourself if that is what you'd like," he began. "But..."

Oh, here it is... I knew the lecture was not over.

"I would like you to come out and join the family when you are feeling better," he requested.

"Really?" I asked, surprised. I had not meant to say the word out loud. I was just confused at how easily he was letting me get away with everything.

"Of course… We are a family, and we expect the kids to spend quality time together — with us — and you are no exception."

"So… you're like… not mad at me anymore?" I sounded so immature I wanted to slap myself.

He shook his head solemnly. "I was never mad at you, Rosalie. You are forgiven for your outburst in the living room. I would like you to consider what I asked of you, however — about talking to Esme when you have a moment — but let's not dwell on things of the past, darling. Dinner will be in about a half an hour and afterward we are going to play a game… and _everyone_ is participating."

_A game? He wants me to come to dinner and play a game with them? What game was he playing at now?_ Truly stumped by his forgiveness, I nodded expectantly. He smiled graciously down upon me.

_Did he still expect me to apologize then? Was there any other punishment?_ It felt like I was getting off easy with him, but for some reason that knowledge left me with an ache inside my chest that I didn't recognize. It wasn't fear or anger, either.

Before he left, with his hand on the door knob, he turned to me and said, "Again, I am sorry for startling you. I want you to know that you are safe in this house, Rosalie. No one — not myself, Esme, or any one of the kids — wishes you any harm. My words may not be enough for you right now, but I hope, in time, you will come to trust us, because we do want you to be a part of this family." He said it almost timidly. He seemed sensitive, like I had hurt his feelings before.

"I just… I thought you were going to…" I stumbled over my words, not knowing what exactly I was trying to accomplish by sharing this with him.

_What was wrong with me? Was I actually feeling guilty for being frightened of him? _

Carlisle was patient and he stood quietly. His eyes glistened intently as he waited for me to finish my sentence.

_I wish I could trust you…_ But I couldn't bring myself to. "Never mind," I said weakly.

The glimmer of hope in his eyes melted away and he offered an amiable smile. _Why was he being so nice?_ Then he left, closing the door behind him.

I sat motionless on the bed, afraid to move. I felt like there was a gaping hole in my heart. I choked, pressing my hand on my sternum to push the feeling back down. It ripped and tore at my lungs as I stifled a sob. I pulled myself down into my pillow and hugged it to me. The pressure felt somewhat comforting. I tried to imagine the last time I had let anyone hold me. It had been so long I couldn't remember, but the pillow helped… for now.

To Be Continued….

* * *

_**What did you think of Carlisle and Rosalie's chat? It was a very rude thing to say to Esme, eh?** But...**Isn't Emmett a sweetie-pie? **I like the idea of him being so nice to Rosalie. ;) Hehe. _

_Coming up Next- Bella stands up against Rosalie for the sake of her family and Rosalie lashes out Alice in return. Esme is getting frustrated with Rosalie's nasty attitude... Then some more of Rosalie's sad past is revealed. _

_**Thank you for reading.**_

_Chapter 12 previews are available. I will send them out in review response as usual. :)_

_*No update next Monday -I need to catch up on some writing so the next update will be two weeks from today, which is May 17th. Just a heads up for those who check back every week. I am not abandoning the story, but I have quite a bit of writing head of me to do and this is not my only fan fiction story I am working on. Thank you for your patience with me. I really appreciate all the kind comments and the support you have all given me. _


	12. Chapter 12 Meatloaf

_Thank you for your patience everyone. :) I hope you will enjoy this chapter. Some more from Rosalie's past will be revealed...  
_

_Special thanks to Catharticone and RandomSugarRush for their contributions to this story and this chapter! I really appreciate it!_

_Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns the characters!_

* * *

**Thorns**

**Chapter Twelve**

The evening only got worse after my encounter with good ol' Doctor Perfect.

Carlisle was a complete mystery to me. From my experience with the male population, all of Lily's "friends", I was used to being admired by men. It was probably so wrong of me to have noticed, but Dr. Cullen was a very attractive man. Why didn't he find me attractive, too? Carlisle didn't look at me with that sort of longing at all; it was something else in his eyes that stirred me up emotionally.

He didn't seem to hold a grudge against me for what happened earlier in the bedroom. When I came out to join the family for dinner, it was truly as if he had forgiven me. He didn't bring it up again and greeted me with a smile as he handed me a plate.

Yes, I had successfully managed to pull myself together and join the Cullens for dinner. I suffered through the meal, however, trying to hide the fact that I was not eating the portion of meat and tomato sauce that was served to me. I ate most of the cucumber salad and all of the mashed potatoes — I know I shouldn't have since they were full of carbs — but I was so hungry.

I felt that I was being watched as I gingerly forked the lump of meat pie to break it up and make it look smaller on my plate.

Eventually, without a comment from anyone, Bella took my plate after I told her I was finished with it. Bella and Edward were in charge of doing the dishes tonight, thank God, because I was not in the mood to do chores. Emmett was a tool, and did most of the work, but I still had to stand next to him and help him somewhat when it was our turn to clean up. We had done the dishes together twice, and both times he did all the garbage collecting and washing and I would dry. It was not so bad; at least I got the plates once all the food and spit had been cleaned away with anti-bacterial dish soap.

The game I was forced to sit through was charades, Alice's favorite apparently. She was terrible at it. Emmett teased her mercilessly and everyone laughed in fun — and she didn't seem to mind at all.

I refused my turn to act. I knew the rules of the game, but I pretended to be unsure and they let me skip my turn and just help guess. I was sure I could do better than all of them put together and my team — the girls — would have probably won if I had cared enough to join in.

When the boys took their win — Emmett had done a little victory dance that had made me want to slap him — I was allowed to go back to my room. It was nearly bed time and there was no rule against reading a bit before bed. I was just getting into my pajamas when there was a knock at the door. I didn't bother putting my top on before responding.

"Come in," I called out.

"Oh! Oh, sorry," Bella mumbled as she looked away from me. I was somewhat annoyed with her reaction. I was not hideous to look at. She was just a prude!

I rolled my eyes. "I'm wearing a bra. It is not like I am naked," I pointed out.

"I know — I just — I thought-"

"Relax Bella, I don't care... really. Stare all you like..."

"Oh. Um… So, can I be in here? I want to read a bit, too," she stated meekly.

I fought the urge to answer "no" to her inquiry. I nodded and replied, "It's your room, too. I can't stop you."

"M'kay," she peeped she hurried over to her bed and sat down.

I saw her watching me from my peripheral vision as I was studying myself in the full length mirror that hung behind the door. I turned to the side and examined my stomach and hips. My lips pursed as I considered if I was getting pudgy. I decided I wasn't and my lips curled up slightly. I looked much older than my age, which I was aiming for. It was all in the grooming — I did my hair every morning in soft waves and I put on mascara if nothing else. It was important I not look like some idiot teenager like the rest of them.

I noticed Bella's eyes locking on mine in the mirror, then she turned away sheepishly.

"You know..." I began, dropping my hands at my sides as I swiveled around. I smiled and continued, "You don't have a bad figure either, Bella. You dress like you are ashamed of your body, though, and it makes you look frumpy and boyish. With some tighter fitting clothing, makeup, and some hair maintenance you would be surprised at how much nicer you could look."

Bella just gawked at me. I sighed tiredly at her lack of response. She was so bland it bored me.

"Granted... you haven't been blessed yet with much shape — your hips are far wider than your chest. Hopefully you are just a late developer or you will end up looking like a pear for the rest of your life," I took the liberty of telling her. It made me far too giddy to do so, and perhaps it was a little bit on the mean side. She was looking at me like I had pinched her or something. "The truth hurts, I know…"

Alice came bustling into the room without a knock and she halted in front of me, taking in my apparel. She snapped out of her thoughts fast and her gaze rose to my face and she smiled wildly. "I like your bra, Rosie! I hope will have boobs like you one day!"

Now that is the kind of response I can appreciate!

Alice was a pain in the ass most of the times, but she had good taste — I had to give her that. She could select clothing from a drawer or closet and throw together interesting combinations in seconds. I didn't mind her being interested in my apparel, seeing as she always came up with creative ways to wear an item that had not crossed my mind.

She, herself, didn't have much to work with, seeing as she was nine and her parents didn't let her wear anything that was not "age appropriate", but if given free range to select any items her heart desired I was almost positive she would be a little fashionista. Alice never went a day without hinting for a pair heels. Esme's response was always, "When you are older, darling."

If things were different, and she were older, perhaps we could have been friends.

Sadly, Alice's wish of growing into decent size bra might not come true — she was so tiny it was unlikely she would develop beyond an A-cup.

"I don't think you should hold your breath," I told her truthfully with a sincere puff of laughter.

Her face fell a bit.

Oh shit. I hadn't meant to hurt her feelings like that. "I don't mean to be cruel, but you are likely to remain small." I waved my hand up and down to gesture to her lack of size in any department.

"Ya..." she moped sadly, looking at her non-existent chest. I felt a stab of pain in my chest for the poor thing. She was so intent on being a part of the fashion world — a model, a designer, anything to do with fashion — and I was squashing her dreams right now. If someone told me I couldn't be a model I would probably laugh and not take it to heart, but deep down Alice knew I was telling the truth.

"Don't worry about it, Alice. With your petite frame you will look good in many styles. You will likely never be a fashion model — you're too short — but you have a very pretty face. Perhaps you can be a commercial model for cosmetics," I offered her some hope. I didn't know why I was being so nice to her…

"You think I have a pretty face?" Alice beamed.

I nodded rather reluctantly — it was hard complimenting others. "And if your looks and height fail you," I continued, "you can always work in design."

"Ya!" Alice chirped positively.

"So anyway..." I diverted, back to looking in the mirror again, "do you think my abs are defined enough?" I studied myself and then displayed my stomach to Alice. "Be honest."

"I think they are just right. You don't want to look like a boy," Alice said without hesitation.

I smiled, impressed with her answer. That is what I had been thinking. "I agree. Perhaps I need to tone up my ass and thighs a bit more, though." I craned my neck over my shoulder as I peered at my fine curves in the mirror.

"You have a nice bum," Alice said, checking me out thoughtfully. "If you want we could go on another hike tomorrow. That's supposed to be great for that sort of thing!"

Oh, Alice... now you are talking. I hated hiking, but she had a terrific point.

"Perhaps... Will the whole family be going?" I asked, raising my eyes to Bella, who was watching me with disgust, in spite of her quietness. "I would hate to fall into the lake again."

"Aw... Bella just has really bad luck, Rosie," Alice stuck up for her sister amiably. "I bet if you hadn't been there to stop her, she would have fallen in instead."

"I would have preferred that," I said in a monotone.

Bella ducked her chin down in shame as she replied, "I know you don't believe me, but it really was an accident… And I wish it had been me, too."

"With your luck you would have broken your arm for sure!" Alice announced as she bounced over to sit next to her sister on the bottom bunk.

Bella nodded somberly in agreement.

"Or cut yourself so deep Dad would have had to stitch you up!" Alice rambled. "Like the time you tripped on the stairs and broke Jasper's favorite soldier and cut your chin open. He got so mad that he nearly-"

"I don't want to talk about it!" Bella stopped Alice from going on. Her face was chalky and pinched with the memory.

Alice shut her mouth. I wondered what Carlisle had nearly done to Bella for breaking Jasper's toy. He didn't seem like the violent type, but those were usually the ones who could turn on you when you least expected it. He had been decent so far, but I was not comfortable with the fair haired doctor — he played it too nice. When a person turns on the charm, they are usually hiding something.

"Why don't you just... be more careful?" I asked sharply. I did not understand why she was such an idiot when it came to staying upright. It was a fairly basic function to master — most children are agile by age five or six. "How hard is it to watch where you are going?"

Bella glanced at me, thinking. She shrugged uncertainly and my eyes rolled. I heard Alice giggle as I picked up my camisole and slipped it on over my head. Once I had it on, I unlatched my bra and maneuvered it out from underneath.

"Hey, Rosie?" Alice piped up. "You don't think you are fat, do you?"

"No!" I blurted out, giving her a harsh look. "Why would you suggest that?" It better not be the whole anorexic accusation again. Many of the foster wives had asked me — jealous bitches that they were — if I was trying to starve myself. That was just ridiculous — I was in good health.

"Well, you only eat veggies and low fat things, it seems," she said innocently.

I softened my expression. She obviously meant no harm and was simply curious. "I just watch what I eat, that's all. Lily insisted that red meats and sugary foods were bad for me and taught me how to keep a trim figure. It is important I stay in shape. Not just my body, but my complexion as well. I don't want any blemishes or freckles to ruin my chances of a good career."

"'Cause you're gonna be a model?" Alice asked cheerfully, the idea exciting her once more.

"Yes," I answered matter-of-factly.

"Well, a little bit of meatloaf won't kill you," Bella said softly under her breath.

"It might. It tasted like shit!" I snapped back at her.

"Her meatloaf is to die for. It is Mom's specialty!" Bella quickly lifted her head up, obviously insulted that I was not interested in her mother's baked lump of meat smothered in tomato soup! Talk about mundane — every housewife in the world made the horrendously overrated meal. It was not something to brag about.

"How nice for her," I replied with an icy smile.

Bella was glaring at me.

I was trying not to lose my temper. I didn't want to give in to her. Kill her with kindness – that was the key. Argh… but her doe eyes and innocent pout bothered me so much! What the hell did Edward see in her? She was smug, almost, about how wonderful she thought her mother was.

"Everyone loves it!" Bella argued pointlessly with me, her eyes glassy. "She won a blue ribbon at the fair last summer for the recipe!"

"It is just not my style," I sneered, not bothering to look at her as I folded the sweater I had taken off and folded it neatly back into the top drawer of the dresser — I had only been wearing it for a few hours after dinner when the sun had gone down.

"What was your mom's specialty?" Alice inquired merrily — maybe trying to change the subject. Or perhaps she was just not clued into the fact this was not a fun conversation.

"What kinda meals did she like to cook?" she continued. Alice's dopey grin told me she was seriously asking me what my mother's skills were.

Bella's brow rose in expectation for an answer.

Oh, I will tell you, you sheltered brat!

"Let's get a few things straight, shall we?" I said as pleasantly as I could, snapping my gaze to the tiny one. I wanted to wipe that permanent grin off her munchkin-like face! "My mother is not dead, so don't use the past tense when you speak of her. You got it?"

I paused only so she could register the question. I think she was too stunned to speak—her smile was gone and replacing it was an expression that was all eyes. I continued after a sharp inhale, "Secondly, my mother's specialties lie outside of the kitchen and homemaker realm. In fact, her hands are really only good for one thing. Unless there is some sort of prize for the best hand job, she is just not the blue ribbon type!"

I walked out of the room with not one word from either of them. Good! Hopefully they would back the hell off from now on!

* * *

I took my time in the bathroom — carefully washing the makeup off my face and brushing my teeth — before returning to the bedroom. I was surprised to find Esme sitting on my bed waiting for me. Bella and Alice were no longer present.

"What now?" I huffed. I had no patience for another lecture.

Esme's normally pleasant face was tight, and she looked tearful — maybe even a bit angry — as she waited for me to close the door and come inside.

"Have a seat."

I sighed and I went to sit on my bed, keeping at least two feet away from her. "If this is about earlier... I'm sorry, okay? I didn't know that it was some big secret that you and Carlisle like to do it in the shower!"

"That is not why I'm here." Esme was calm, but her tone had an edge to it like she was upset with me. "Although, come to speak of it... that was rather rude of you and I'm glad you are sorry, though if that is the best apology you can muster then I'm very disappointed." Her eyes didn't seem to blink as she watched me intently.

"I'll work on it," I replied flatly, unfeelingly.

"No, this is about my nine year old coming to ask me what a hand job is."

I had to admit I had not seen that one coming. "Oh."

"Mhmmm," she hummed with purpose. "And what was I to tell her? She is too young to be filled in on such topics. Frankly, I think you are too young to be discussing that sort of thing, as well."

I almost let out a laugh at the ridiculousness of that statement — my face cracking into a small, sarcastic smile. I knew what a hand job was when I was eight years old. Lily explained it all to me when I was curious enough to ask her what it meant when a man asked for one.

"This is not funny, Rosalie. I can look past many of your rude comments, and your haughty attitude, but this is not acceptable. Carlisle and I do not want you kids to be discussing topics of a graphic sexual nature in our home — especially when some of you are still so young and innocent. We won't allow it!"

She was starting to make me angry. "I didn't tell her what it was, for fuck sake! I can't help if she asked me about my mom, and that happened to be the honest answer to her question. Did you want me to lie? I thought I was allowed to be open and honest in this 'safe house,' or was that just something you say to all the homeless kids you take in?" I threw back at her.

"First of all... watch your mouth. We don't appreciate you swearing like a sailor all the time. Secondly…" she sighed, "…Of course we want you to feel safe enough to be honest with us. If you have something to say, please, by all means, come to us and we will talk, but not in front of the kids. I want you to feel free to tell Carlisle or me anything, no matter what it is, no matter what the topic, but the kids are not old enough to understand some of the things you have been through."

"Fine... No talking about my mother around your sensitive kids. They probably don't even know what a whore does for a living anyway!" It felt good to say that out loud. I hadn't realized how angry I still was at Lily.

"Rosalie..." Esme cooed, her expression sympathetic. Her hand reached out to me as she slid closer.

I hastily took my hands off my lap so she could not grab one. "No, I get it — really — I will just keep it to myself then." It came out sounding petulant, and there I was being 'rude' again.

"That is not what I expect from you..." Esme rubbed her hand up my arm and then down my back. She was no longer sounding angry. I wasn't sure if I liked her pity any better, but her touch was not unbearable. "Don't keep all that anger inside, dear. It is better to let it out. Talk to me or Carlisle about what upsets you. Or, if you would prefer a professional-"

"I am not going to spill my guts to a shrink!" I stated firmly. I had been forced to do that by a few of my previous foster parents — it never went well. I had actually started to tell the doctor the truth at one point, but later I heard my foster parents talking about the session and they thought I was making it up when I told them my mom prostituted me out to her clients. They thought I was attention seeking. Again, there was no proof of my claims, and Lily was the well-respected wife of Royce King, so all I had was my side of the story to tell. They all saw me as Lily's spoiled brat of a daughter who hated my new step father.

Suddenly, I was aware of how close Esme was to me. I could smell her sweet scent — lilacs — and the warmth radiating off her as she cuddled up beside me. She was very sneaky. My posture was so tense it caused me to ache, so I relaxed as much as I could in her embrace.

"That's fine, dear. Like I said, we will listen to you if you have something to say," she purred in my ear.

She was so close that I think it could have classified as a hug — the darn woman was always so touchy-feely. Yet... it felt kind of nice to be so near to another human being and not be fearful for a change. There was something about Esme that soothed me.

"But please... not in front of Alice. That girl is a handful as it is without her wanting a pre-emptive sex talk!" Esme's tone was lighter now, joking.

I laughed once, silently, and agreed.

She took my face in her hands and stroked my hair back before kissing my forehead. I don't know how she did it, but she managed to kiss me. I normally would not have allowed that from a stranger, but she had slipped it in there somehow — it was sneaky. The move seemed effortless and natural for her, though. I felt my heart clamoring against my ribs and my hands grew sweaty as she smiled at me and let me go.

Esme gracefully lifted herself up from the bed and wafted to the door. She turned as she exited, hugging the door frame almost as she curled her head back inside the room. With a warm smile she said, "Have a good night, darling. Pleasant dreams."

* * *

My dreams that night had started out pleasantly enough. I thought back to a year ago when I had been truly happy for the first time in my life...

Her name was Vera, and she was a single woman at the time I was sent to her home. I had been resistant at first, like always, but it was nice to live in a place without a man present. She and I became close after just a short time, and then we were inseparable.

She was a lot more maternal that Lily had been. She had always dreamed of having a family, but she was in her early forties so she decided to foster to adopt instead of waiting to find the right man — like that was even possible. I know she had hoped for a younger child, but she never once let me feel like I was unwelcome. She was such a trusting, gentle woman. She would believe anything…

I had a safe home, a good friend, and no men around that I owed anything to. I trusted Vera with my secrets. She knew what my mother had been, what I had done as well, and what Royce had tried to do to me. I was hopeful that with this knowledge, Vera would understand me better and forgive me for the ways I acted around others. She seemed to understand me.

To make life even more perfect, Henry came to us not too long after I had made myself comfortable at Vera's. A perfect, baby boy — just twenty months old — who was walking and starting to talk. The joy that baby brought to Vera's life was uplifting. I would have been jealous — worried that she would love him more — but she never stopped caring for me. She made him a soft cotton blanket for his crib and for me she made a larger blanket in violet — to match my eyes, she told me — and I loved that thing dearly, even now. I felt secure enough to let my guard down, and I fell in love with Henry too.

I didn't like men. Not one bit, but Henry was the sweetest boy in the world. With his curly brown hair and dark eyes, he was the little angel of my heart. I would sneak into his room at night and watch him sleep — wanting to make sure he was warm enough and safe.

My life was perfect for those few months.

However, nothing in life is perfect. I know that now.

Vera met a man — a very handsome, charismatic man who charmed his way into her lonely heart. He was not as handsome as Royce had been. No, James was a bad boy and he was covered in hideous tattoos. Yet, Vera fell in love with him, regardless of his obvious bad taste.

I was annoyed that she wanted to be with him — saying we needed a father — when she already had Henry and me. It was as if we were not good enough for her anymore. I couldn't just sit back and watch her ruin her life over some man! I didn't want to cause her any trouble, but when I resisted her efforts to include James in our lives, she began to treat me like I was not her friend anymore. Vera was blinded by her infatuation with her new man.

Then, a few months into their relationship, I caught James cheating on her. That was my key to getting her to see the monster he truly was. He had made numerous sexual advances toward me, but of course Vera thought I was jealous and acting up when I told her about those encounters, so he got away with it.

Vera had cried and begged me to stop with my lies. She was literally sick over what I was telling her, but she still couldn't believe me for some reason. I could see that she cared for me, but not enough to trust me. I had too shady a past for her to trust the daughter of a whore, I guess. She was kind about her refusal to believe me and never punished me for my "lies"— it wasn't like I had proof or anything… Until that day!

I was not doing well in school because of all the stress at Vera's house, so I had been staying late to catch up. When I left the school that day and walked around the back parking lot to take a short cut home, I was horrified and thrilled to see James wrapped around the school librarian, Ms. Victoria. I knew it was her, even with her back to me. James' face was immersed in her tangle of her fiery hair when he spotted me. He smirked so evilly, and he did nothing to stop his thrusting motions as he slammed her up against his car.

I ran home so fast I thought my lungs were going to burst. I was crushed to find James' car in the driveway as I reached the house — he had beat me. Vera was not home, though. Her car was missing. The first thought that came to me was of Henry.

I raced inside to find James holding the baby, pacing the living room as he soothed his cries. My stomach dropped and I felt sick. I knew that James was up to no good.

"Rosalie... I am surprised at you," he said evilly. "Just when I thought we could be friends..."

"I — it's time for Henry's dinner. Here, I will-" I began to say, reaching for Henry. James didn't budge as I neared him.

"I don't think Vera wants you near the boy unsupervised. It is not very wise."

"What? I always take care of Henry for Vera." I was so confused.

"That was before you became too angry and delusional to behave responsibly around the baby. Vera is not going to be happy when she comes home and finds the mess you have made."

"What?" He was not making sense.

"Vera loves me, Rosalie. And I can't have you spoiling our relationship because you are jealous. Vera is going to be very disappointed to find out that you came on to me… again."

"What? No!"

"I turned you down, of course. What kind of man would ever take advantage of such a sad little whore? You don't really know any better, do you?"

James was taunting me now. I began to understand what it was he was threatening.

Tears welled in my eyes and I reached for Henry pleadingly. I just wanted to hold him and to make him stop crying. He shouldn't have to deal with any of this. James was scaring him.

Suddenly, as headlights flashed in the front window, James' face lit up with a malicious grin. Before I could comprehend what he was doing, the coffee table flew up and turned over, spilling the contents all over the carpet. The noise it made and the jerkiness it caused made Henry shriek with fear, and James hushed him and backed away in the corner.

"Shhh, baby. It's okay. I won't let her hurt you," he told Henry, rubbing the baby's back and coddling him close to his chest. It was like I was watching a horror film; I wanted to do something, the right thing, but I was too scared and was not sure which way to run.

"What is going on in here?" Vera questioned as she came rushing in the door. I gasped and turned around, still standing in the center of the mess in the living room.

"Shh, baby. It's okay," James repeated, acting as she huddled in the corner with him and Henry.

Vera's face was stunned as she looked from James to me. "Rosalie?"

"It was him! He did this! He is setting me up!" I shouted finding my voice again. I expected James to counter that, but he didn't. He continued to console Henry's cries.

"I don't understand," Vera began. "Why would you do this, Rosalie? I know you don't approve of James, but to treat him this way is appalling."

"He did it! He is cheating on you and I caught him. I came to tell you, but he threatened me! He is trying to make you hate me!" I cried out.

James stepped forward and Vera went to him and took Henry. James was so calm, he didn't falter. "She seems to think I was with another woman today. She was so angry with me. She said she wanted me and tried to kiss me, but I told her no. I know she has a history of this behavior, but I told her I was not one of those men. I was simply reassuring her that I love you too much to ever be with another woman, and that is when she got so very angry — that I choose you over her."

"That's a lie! I never did that! He is lying!" I screamed. Vera's face was red and she was terribly overwhelmed, but instead of rushing to my side, she stood by James.

"You are scum! Vera deserves better!" I shrieked at James, tears erupting from my eyes uncontrollably.

Henry began to cry again too.

"Go to your room, Rosalie," was all Vera had to say. That is when I knew that I had lost her.

It was the last time I saw Henry, too. Later that night, I was awakened by Clara. She had come to take me to another home. Apparently, Vera decided that I was unstable and I could no longer be trusted around her baby. She had come to see me off, crying and telling me how much she loved me and wanted me to have a happy life.

"I am so sorry, Rosalie. You need the kind of help I can't give you," she had whispered to me as I left her home.

But James had gotten to her. She was the one who needed help — not me.

She had ruined me. My mother had set me up to fail, but Vera is what broke me and made me so unwilling to trust another human being. I would never let anyone hurt me the way she did — never love someone so much that it would break my heart to lose them.

Oh, Henry… would I ever feel love like that again? He was a pure angel, and I never deserved to love him in the first place.

To Be Continued…

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_**So...how much do you feel for poor Rosalie? Does it make more sense now why she is so unwilling to trust, not only men, but woman as well? What did you think of her share with Alice and Bella? **_

_**Thank you for reading. **_

_Coming up Next- Alice has a nightmare that stirs things up a bit-The Cullen family is in for a long night! If you would like a tiny preview, they are available via review responses. If you do not want one, let me know, because I send them by default. :)_


	13. Chapter 13 Psychosomaticism

_Thank you to Catharticone and RandomSugarRush for all their help-it is very much appreciated. :)_

_Disclaimer: I don't own the characters-they belong to Stephanie Meyer._

_*Thank you to all the readers who reviewed thus far. 21 reviews for the last chapter-that is record for me! It made my day! :D It is so very encouraging to hear from you all. I have noticed some of this sites features are down, so I hope the review responses were received. Thanks again!_

* * *

**Thorns**

**Chapter Thirteen**

It had been so long since we had been woken from our slumber to one of Alice's screams. I had almost forgotten how alarming it was. I jumped out of bed so fast I stumbled on the comforter and walked into the dresser.

"What — what is it? Is — Oh, dear," Esme cried softly as I woke her up with the loud noise.

I rubbed my hip and sucked back the curse words that wanted to slip out.

"No! No! Stop it," called Alice's voice from downstairs, followed by another scream.

"Alice!" Esme gasped and she was up and rushing down the stairs behind me in an instant.

When I got to the girls' room the lights were already on and Bella was trying to wake Alice as gently as possible — which is what she was instructed to do until Esme or I came to help. She was teary-eyed as she meant my gaze. It always hurt Bella when Alice was suffering.

And this nightmare seemed to be a particularly bad one.

I deftly helped Bella down the ladder up to Alice's bunk so Esme could go up. I put Bella on steady ground and had to take a second glace as I spotted Rosalie backed into the comer on her bed with her blankets up to her chin. I felt like a jerk, but in the chaos I had momentarily forgotten about our sixth child.

"Alice, baby," Esme cooed.

I knew Alice was in good hands, so I focused on Rosalie for a moment. "Sometimes Alice has bad dreams, Rose," I told her. "Please don't be alarmed. It is very scary to witness, I know, but she will be alright in a bit, once she's woken and calmed down."

Rosalie nodded quickly and she turned her attention back towards the scene at hand. I did the same and found that Alice was rousing and she reached out for Esme and clung to her.

"Mommy!" she wailed as she realized she was not alone anymore. She was awake, but the dream had not left her mind yet and she started to cry helplessly as the memories of her nightmare flooded back to her.

"Mommy!" Alice shrieked grabbing a tighter her hold to her mother. She was sobbing so hard, my poor angel, that my own chest felt stiff with sympathy.

"Shhh. It's okay, baby. You're safe. Look... We are all here and the nightmare is over now," Esme said with a calm voice, but I could still hear shakiness to it. It was all she could do to hold back her own tears.

"Is she okay? Did she have another one of _those_ dreams again?" Jasper asked me urgently, trying to get a peek at Alice.

We had quite the crowd formed — everyone was present now. I knew that they wanted to make sure Alice was safe, but their presence was only magnifying the fear in the room. "Alice is awake now. Everything is going to be fine. Back to bed," I instructed gently, but I let them know with a glance that this was non-negotiable. The boys retreated, Jasper being the last — his eyes were narrowed and he scowled before turning to leave.

"It's okay, baby girl. It was a dream. Only a dream," Esme hushed.

"He h-hurt her! He wouldn't stop a-and she was in pain and — and... And he wouldn't stop hurting her!" Alice cried into the sleeve of Esme's nightie. She was always encouraged to share what she saw with us. Some of her nightmares were worse than others — it looks like tonight was one of those nights.

"No one is hurting anyone, darling," I stepped closer and reached my hand up to touch Alice's back. It was moments like this when I could really see her petite size. My hand looked huge on her delicate, fragile body.

"Yes he was!" Alice argued with me. Her face was red from crying, but she was also upset with me for not listening to her. I nodded and waited for her to continue. "She was scared, Daddy! She was screaming and asking him to stop, but he wouldn't stop! And — and..."

"I was a bad dream, Alice. We won't let anyone hurt you-"

"Not me! We h-have to pro-tect... her," Alice cried out in her tiny childlike voice. "In case he comes back!" She was fixated on something behind me; her eyes were glassy with tears as she desperately tried to steady her breath. "I'm s-orry, Ros-ie. I could-n't stop him. I was t-too scared!"

I was now fixated on the other terrified child in the room — Rosalie. She had blanched nearly to the color of her sheets when Alice had said her name.

She shook her head. "I — I don't know what you are talking about," Rosalie waived. She didn't fool me. Something Alice was saying was hitting home for her, she was not hiding her fear as well as she may have thought she was.

"That man... The one that wanted t-to hurt you!" Alice explained, lifting her head from Esme's chest now to converse with Rosalie.

"I was a nightmare, sweetheart. Rosalie is safe here with us. You were only dreaming," Esme suggested, stroking Alice's hair over and over again. "I know it felt very real to you, darling, but it didn't really happen." Usually that helped Alice calm down, but she seemed very sure of what she was saying.

"It was real!" Alice insisted, "Tell them!" Her eyes were glued on Rosalie.

"I — no! You have no idea what you are talking about!" Rosalie retaliated. She looked more frightened than annoyed as she shook her head stubbornly.

"But I saw him touching you and-"

"You were dreaming. Let it go already!" Rosalie yelled, letting the sheet drop and she glared down Alice to hard, as if to will her to stop repeating what she was so sure of.

"It was not your fault. You tried to stop him..."

"SHUT UP!" Rosalie's voice literally quaked the room. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "Just shut the Hell up! You don't know anything!"

I had wanted to believe it was only a dream too. However, the stories Rosalie had told Clara were now starting to show sparks of truth. The poor dear was shielding in a lot of pain. I had already noted her defensiveness towards Emmett and myself — I had made some possible conclusions of my own as to why she behaved this way. Alice was fuelling her anger by threatening to expose her secrets — that is why she was so determined to make her stop talking.

We all watched Rosalie in shock, Esme and I with sympathy as well. Rosalie's face tightened and her lips sealed. Someone had to do something, but from my past experience with Rosalie in this room...I felt it was best that I did not go to comfort her as I was aching to do. I turned my head back toward Esme, who seemed to sense my thoughts. Alice was still curled up in her lap on the top bunk. Her sobs were diminishing now and she was reverting into silence — her eyes still open wide with terror.

"How about if you go upstairs with Daddy?" Esme asked her softly. "He will take care of you and read to you until you fall back to sleep, honey."

"I don't want to go back to sleep." Alice whimpered.

I could not blame her after the horror she had just envisioned. I could only imagine — and it was disturbing to think about — so I tried not to picture what Alice may have seen.

"I will stay with you all night, angel. Please, come up to bed," I encouraged, reaching out for Esme to hand her over to me. Alice came to me without much coaxing — she was comfortable in either her mother's or my care. She wrapped her body around me in a vice grip.

One of the advantages of having a small nine-year-old was that she was easy to hold — I only needed one arm to secure her to me. I wanted her to stay little forever anyway, so her size was a blessing in some ways. I hoped she would never grow too old to let her mother and I hold her. One day she would probably not need me when she had bad dreams — though, I prayed she knew I would always be there if she wanted me to be.

"Everything is alright, dear," I said to Bella and I swept the hair off her forehead and planted a soft kiss there. I felt like I might be lying, but I managed to give her a reassuring smile. "You should get back into bed too."

Bella agreed and crawled back into her bunk as Esme climbed down the ladder. I placed the hand that was not supporting Alice's bum on the small of Esme's back to guide her down. She kissed Alice sweetly and tucked Freddy, Alice's orange dog, between my chest and Alice's warm body to take up with us.

Before I left the room, I glanced meaningfully towards Rosalie and bowed out. I didn't want her to think I didn't care about her feelings. I would have loved to stay and comfort her, but both Esme and I knew it was not a good idea. I had Alice to deal with, and Esme would tend to the two other girls.

* * *

"Daddy?" a soft voice woke me.

I don't recall when I had fallen asleep. I was sometime after I had gotten Alice to sleep, but I had planned on staying awake to wait for Esme to return to bed. However, as my eyelids parted to greet the bright sunlight of morning and I peeked at the bed next to me, only Alice lay there. "Where's Mommy?" she asked, her bottom lip slightly bigger than the top.

"I am not sure, sweet-pea. I think she must have stayed in your room last night…" I told her honestly. That was the only possible explanation — unless Esme had come to back to bed, but then gotten up before Alice or me. "…probably didn't want to wake us up."

"Do you think that Rosie's okay?" Alice asked thoughtfully as she cuddled up to me and her head nestled into my neck. I had to choke back a thick sigh. 'No, she is not okay,' is what I should tell Alice, but I didn't want to worry her. She had such nightmares of her own and she was too young to carry the burden of others.

"I think she has been through a lot of hard times, baby. And she is still very scared."

"She doesn't act very scared," Alice interjected.

"She is a brave girl," I whispered succinctly. I wished I knew what to tell Alice without causing her any more stress.

"But darling?" I asked for her full attention in a hushed voice. Alice nuzzled in closer and hummed in response so I continued. "Rosalie may not be ready to talk about what happened last night — what you saw in your dreams — so if she doesn't want to talk, don't force her. To you it seemed very real, but we don't know if it is the truth. It must have frightened Rosalie to hear you talk about her like that. She doesn't understand the way your mind works and she might not want to hear it is what you have to say. Whatever it was you saw — and I am sorry you had to see that — it does not necessarily mean it really happened. Do you understand?"

"Oh, it did happen, Daddy. I know it did!" Alice insisted, her voice a normal tone, but it rang loudly in my ear.

"Unless Rosalie asks you about what you saw… could you please not speak of it with her? You can always tell your mother or me anything — you know that — but Rosalie may not be strong enough to hear what it is you have to say."

"Okay Daddy," she replied, rather subdued.

I held her for a while, partly because I didn't want to get up and face the day, and partly because Alice was not acting like her normal, cheerful self yet and that troubled me. She was never one to let herself be pulled down for too long, but she was clearly upset about her nightmare — and I didn't blame her.

Obviously Esme felt the need to stay with the other girls so I was not sure how Rosalie was doing. I had a feeling she would be hesitant to face us after the night we had just been through. I didn't need Clara to tell me the stories or Alice's uncanny perception to make me suspect that Rosalie had been horribly abused. It was clear from the way she reacted around men that she was afraid — and it was not normal for a child of her age to fear a stranger so strongly without a reason. When she had told me not to touch her… It was not just petulance on her part — though she had plenty of that to share as well — that was her way of telling me that she didn't trust me to respect her personal space.

Of course, the thought of ever causing her any such pain or grief made me sick. Who would do that to a little girl — to any fellow human being, for that matter? A monster… Only a monster would ever do something so horrendous!

As physician who took my job very seriously — and as a father — I wanted to help Rosalie. I knew that she didn't feel like she belonged with our family since she was living with us under a temporary placement, but Esme and I treated all the kids as if they were family no matter what the arrangements were. We had not discussed it in so much detail, but the possibility of making Rosalie's stay a more permanent one was something we were interested in — so long as Rosalie was in agreement. She was old enough to have her say in the matter. We would support her decision and help her in any way she would let us.

However, I was still unsure how to help her — she wouldn't even let me near without a witness present. But perhaps I would just have to make sure that Esme was in the room whenever I spent time with Rosalie — until she got to know me and trust me. I would not give up on her.

"I don't feel good," Alice's admission jerked me back to reality and I sat up a bit so I could see her better. She looked absolutely miserable.

"Where? What hurts, sweetheart?" I asked her as I touched her cheek with my hand and then cupped her forehead. I paused to contemplate her temperature. She was not overly warm. My hand may have been a touch on the cool side too.

"I just…" She hesitated, gave a sad sigh, and then said, "I just feel sick inside."

_Me too, sweetie._ I nodded weakly, understanding the feeling.

"It has been a rough night for you. How about you just rest here and I will go downstairs and start breakfast?" I offered, "I think you might feel better once you eat something." I hoped that maybe I could get a little hint of a smile from Alice, but she tightened her lips in thought.

"Can we have pancakes?" she peeped eventually, showing a little more of her personality. "With chocolate chips?" She gave a better smile this time. I felt myself smiling a bit too as I raised my eyebrows at her request. If she wanted sugar, she was coming around.

"Chocolate? For breakfast? Well, I dunno…" I played with her. She knew she already had this one in the bag.

"Please?" she tagged on for good measure.

"Alright, baby. I think there is some chocolate left from the smores. I will chop that up and put it in the batter. How does that sound?"

I don't like to indulge the kids with junk food — especially if they were claiming illness — but sometimes the moment called for bringing out the chocolate. And I was almost certain Alice's ills were due to stress. She appeared healthy physically, but the trauma in her mind was a lot for her to bear. A bit of chocolate was far better for her than any medication that so many would have stuffed into her to 'cure' her of her 'illness.' I did not believe in putting patients on medication permanently unless there was no other option available.

Alice managed to give me one of her winning grins, God bless her, and I stroked her face tenderly and leaned in to kiss her forehead before I got myself out of bed.

I quickly washed up and slipped on a fresh t-shirt. The one I had on was clean from last night, but I still felt disgusted about the revelations that had come about, just by accident. A new shirt would not wipe away the knowledge I was now bearing about Rosalie's troubled past.

I hurried downstairs and then stood in the kitchen for a long moment realizing that I had no idea how to make decent pancake batter without a mix and I was sure we didn't have anything like that since Esme liked to make everything from scratch to control what ingredients went in our bodies. I felt somewhat discouraged and wasn't sure what step to take next.

I sighed and rubbed the sore spot between my eyes and along the bridge of my nose. This was not a good morning.

"Tell me about it…" I heard Esme say as she appeared, walking up towards me. I smiled weakly and opened my arms to her so she could walk right into me. She wrapped her arms around me and I reciprocated. Hugging my wife was the closest to home there was and I appreciated her more than ever for being my partner through all the ups… and downs.

"How's Rosalie doing?" I asked softly in her ear. Esme's hair was pulled back in a messy bun and the loose hairs tickled my face in the most wonderful way. I inhaled the scent of lilacs and felt better in spite of the topic we were on.

"Not too well," Esme admitted. She stayed in my arms, but leaned her head back off from its rightful place on my chest and she looked up at me with her crystal green, tired eyes. "She got sick about an hour after you took Alice up to bed. She doesn't have a fever, and after emptying her stomach she claimed to feel better so I didn't come to get you. She let me lie next to her and rub her back a bit…"

Esme raised her eyebrows at me as she spoke. I was surprised that Rosalie would allow that kind of affection, as well. But it pleased me — it was a very positive sign.

"…she fell back to sleep eventually. Poor dear… She didn't want to talk about it, which is understandable, but I wish she would trust me. It was hard not to hold her; she would only allow me to lay there with the blankets and a pillow between us."

"Still, I am glad she let you comfort her, even just a little bit."

Esme nodded feebly and continued, "Bella was quiet. She looked like she was asleep throughout, but I don't think she had a very good rest after what happened and then with me being up with Rosalie half the night. Both girls are fast asleep now."

"Well… they can sleep in as long as they need this morning," I said thoughtfully.

"Is Alice up?"

"Alice is complaining of feeling ill, as well," I shared. The worry it brought to Esme's pretty face made me feel horrible for telling her.

"You don't think it is a flu bug, do you?" Esme asked hesitantly.

I shook my head. She already knew what my diagnosis was. We both knew the girls were okay — physically at least.

"I don't think so, love. We'll keep an eye on them both — and the others — but I am fairly certain the symptoms are due to stress. Alice seems to be coming around now — she asked for chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast."

Esme smiled endearingly at that. I braved a tiny chuckle, though the atmosphere was still grim.

"If their symptoms are psychosomatic then the only thing we can do is allow them to express their feelings with us and let them know they are safe to do so."

Esme agreed intently. "I should go check on Alice…"

"She would like that. She is awake, I think-"

"I'm awake! Are the pancakes ready?" Alice asked as she hopped off the bottom stair that led down from the loft. I let Esme go and it brought a smile to my face as Alice ran into her mother's arms — I didn't mind sharing.

"I was just about to make them," I explained to Alice.

"Oh, really?" Esme inquired, squeezing Alice's head into her middle. She turned back to me and smiled coyly. Then she released Alice and placed her hand on my chest and kissed my cheek. "You get the boys up — make sure their room is tidy — and_ I _will make the pancakes."

"I love you," I sighed my thanks and I kissed her back. No one wanted to eat my version of homemade pancakes that was for sure!

Alice giggled and offered her help Esme make the batter. Esme was still fussing over Alice, checking her forehead for fever and making sure she really was okay to help out, when I left to go wake the boys.

* * *

Esme had planned this… The boys' room was a mess! I couldn't open the door fully and there were only a few small trails of clear floor leading to the beds. Jasper was curled up in a ball at the end of his bed; the rest of it was covered in books, toys, clothes, shoes, etc.

Edward was a little neater, but his things were stacked around his bed and hanging on the bunk bed around him like a curtain. At least he was sleeping length-wise on the bed with a pillow under his head.

Emmett was a fun sight to watch. His feet stuck out over the end of the twin bed, his pillow was on the floor, and his blanket was hanging off the side of the bed, only covering one of his legs. He didn't seem to notice — that boy usually sleeps through anything. However, I recalled his face of concern last night when he had come to see what the commotion was at the girls' room.

After waking up the boys, having to literally shake Emmett to make him stir, I passed on the message about their room needing to be tidied up before breakfast. I heard a few moans, but I remained strong. I stayed and watched them sort the piles of clothing into clean and 'to be washed' piles and then shove their books back onto their shelves and under their beds. It was not a perfect clean up, but I was tired and so were they.

"Good job boys, try to keep it tidy, okay?" I encouraged. I was met with mellow agreement on their part. "You mother's making pancakes. So get these clothes put away in their rightful draws and in the hamper and wash up."

Jasper and Edward jumped up and hurried to the bathroom. I suspect Edward beat Jasper to it because I heard a groan and Edward laugh. I bent down to pick up some of the dirty laundry to help out. Emmett joined me and he followed me to the hamper. He was far too quiet — something was up.

"Hey, Dad?"

"Yes, Son?" I replied.

He shoved the last item of clothing into the hamper in the linen closet and then looked up at me. "Rosalie is okay, right? Alice is always right so someone obviously hurt her! I mean…"

I placed a hand on his massive shoulder. He was getting worked up — and rightfully so. I would expect no less from Emmett, who would die for his sisters if he had to.

He continued in a softer voice, "I figured that was why she was scared of me, but I didn't want to believe it was true. I get why she hates me now… But she is going to be alright now, right? We are going to make sure she is okay?"

I was a touch thrown off by his straight forwardness and his sureness about her abuse. I was sure and I had no proof and had not heard the details straight from Rosalie. But for Emmett to have come up with the same conclusion and be worried… that did surprise me.

His kind, brown eyes were frowning at the edges and he waited silently for me to say something to make him feel better. I wished I knew what to say.

"I… I am not sure, Em. We are going to treat her like family, as we have been doing from day one, and it is my hope that she will come to accept us and our love. That is all we can do," I told him softly, so that our conversation could not be eavesdropped in on.

"I wish she wasn't so scared of me…" Emmett looked down. "I would never hurt her. I want her to know that."

"I know, Son. She will learn to trust you. Just be patient and respect her wishes."

"Ya, I will-"

A tiny cough alerted both Emmett and I to her presence.

She looked so tired, so washed out compared to her usual peaches and cream complexion. It was the most vulnerable I had seen her, including the other day when I had inadvertently frightened her when I had simply went to pat her knee. She had been strong then, demanding me to not touch her, and the fire in her eyes had told me she was going to fight if she had to. But now she was leaning against the wall tentatively, hoping to pass us, and her age and innocence was visible in her weakened state. There was less resistance in her stance.

"Rosalie, how are you feeling?" I asked, hoping she had not heard us talking about her.

It was hard to tell from her expression, which was not as angry as I thought it would be if she had overheard us. It was most likely she had picked up some of our conversation, though. Emmett's voice was not exactly subtle. She just stared at me with wide eyes, evaluating me.

I specified my reason for asking her about her health by adding, "Esme told me you were sick during the night. Are you still feeling nauseated?"

"No. I'm feeling better now," she replied softly.

"I'm glad," I told her with complete sincerity. I smiled at her and moved out of her way so she could pass by. Emmett stayed where he was, somewhat stiffly as Rosalie walked by us and to the end of the hall. Jasper was in the bathroom now, so she would have to wait, it seemed.

"I am going to help Esme with breakfast," I said to fill the silence. "We are having pancakes."

"Woot, pancakes!" Emmett let his excitement come out. Rosalie gave him a curious look and the situation didn't appear to need me there anymore. She looked comfortable enough as she stood, with her arms folded, leaning against the wall.

As I was walking away I heard Emmett say, "I like pancakes…"

I couldn't quite hear Rosalie's response, she was awfully quiet.

"But hey, if you don't, that's cool too. I can make you something else if you want…"

…

"Like… something healthier and less fattening..."

…

"Not that you are fat at all! No. I just meant that…"

And the hole just kept getting deeper. I fought back an amused chuckle — I couldn't help myself.

I slowed my pace as I walked away to make sure the situation was still peaceful. Emmett was apologizing like crazy — his foot was already jammed in his throat, though. But there was no screaming, swearing or objects being thrown like I feared would follow. No… this time I heard the lovely sound of Rosalie's laughter mingled with Emmett's booming laugh.

To Be Continued…

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Oh, Emmett... always putting his foot in his mouth! ;) **What did you think of the dream?** Alice is a eerie, little thing, eh? **How do you think Rosalie will react next chapter once she comes to terms with the Cullen's knowing about her abuse?** Tell me your thoughts.

Reminder: A preview of next chapter is available, but if you do not want a spoiler, then simple say so. :)

Coming up next: Rosalie refuses to abide by the Cullen family rules and her tenacity lands her in a frightening predicament.

**Thank you for reading!**


	14. Chapter 14 Boat Rope

_Thank you to Catharticone and RandomSugarRush for their help editing this story. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight Saga Characters-they belong to Stephanie Meyer. The rest of this story is mine. :) _

_Thank you to all the lovely readers who read and review. I love to hear your feedback, especially on what you like so I can try to write more of that into the story. I hope you will all enjoy this chapter...  
_

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**Thorns**

**Chapter Fourteen**

_What is wrong with me?_ I should be more upset... I was very confused about what had happened the other night, that was for sure, but I was surprisingly calm about Alice blurting out some of my most horrendous memories for all to hear.

After a long night without much sleep and a lot of crying and throwing up, I had been very subdued the following morning. Alice's visions had hit too close to home and stirred up all the memories of Royce and Lily. I had made myself sick with grief as I revisited that time in my life.

Esme had spent the night fussing over me, which was hard to accept, but it was actually very nice of her. I don't think I would have been able to sleep if she had not been there.

Emmett was his usual, idiot self the next day. He kept saying the most inappropriate things to comfort me, but it was hard to be upset with him after I overheard him asking Carlisle if I was okay. I mean, I didn't like that they were talking about me — not really — but it was sort of sweet that he was so concerned. It was getting harder and harder for me to stay mad with him. Like I said, I don't know what is wrong with me.

It was five days later now, a Friday, and everything was starting to go back to what I had come to expect from the Cullens. They had been tip-toeing around me like I was some fragile doll for the last few days, but they were starting to relax and act more like themselves again.

Bella was reading in the corner and Edward was playing his guitar on the sofa next to her. Emmett was shooting pucks at a very well-padded Jasper outside on the lawn. Tiny yelps could be heard and Esme would go running to the window to remind Emmett to be careful. Carlisle was plucking Alice off the bookshelf she had decided to climb instead of asking for help to reach a game from the top shelf. Yes... it was back to the noisy chaos of mundane life here at the Cullen Cabin.

I was not in the mood to read anymore. I had been hiding in books for days since the incident happened, so I got up to take a stroll down to the dock. I liked to sit out there and think.

"Are you going down to the water, dear?" Esme asked kindly.

I was surprised she was still speaking to me. I had been very rude to her the morning after — I had called her out on spilling my secrets to her kids and run up one side of her and down the other. My language was at its most unladylike setting as I called her things I am sure Alice would be repeating later on, and I would be blamed for ruining her innocence yet again.

I had been angry that Esme had told her kids what Clara must have told her. It had been the mostly likely reason for Alice knowing about Royce...

But Esme was adamant that she had not said a word to any of them. Carlisle backed her up, of course, and we had finally decided to leave the topic alone when I had worked myself into a state of near hyperventilation — agree to disagree sort of deal—and we couldn't see eye to eye. I was not sure who or what to believe anymore. Bella tried to tell me that Alice was some kind of psychic or some load of shit like that. _Do I look like a fucking moron?_ Nice try, _Bella_! _God! Even her name irritates me!_

The Cullens obviously knew more about me than they let on, though. How else would Alice know? I had never told them anything about the men — or Royce. Esme was the one who knew the most, and I suppose Carlisle would have known a bit too since the last time we were alone I freaked out when he came too near. I guess I had foolishly trusted them when they said they wanted to hear _it_ from me. Instead, they were telling their kids about my past behind my back!

Nothing made sense and they were all lying in circles, but something was wrong with me because I had somewhat let it go. I guess I forgave them. I was getting soft or something...

"Ya," I answered Esme back as I walked toward the door.

"Take someone with you, please. That's the rule," she reminded me — like she did every time.

"I can swim," I said without slowing my stride or turning around.

"Rosalie!" Carlisle's voice sounded more urgent.

I stopped and spun back around. "What?"

"It is not about whether you can swim or not, Rosalie. If you slipped and hit your head, or got tangled up in rope, or-" Carlisle was saying before I laughed.

"Rope?" I giggled. "You guys even don't have a boat! What rope?"

There was no one else laughing, but Edward at least smirked a little bit to himself. I was glad that I was not the only one who found the buddy system a bit annoying. I bet he was getting tired of watching after Bella — the stupid girl was always falling over and he had to help her up and so on... _What a pain in the ass!_

Carlisle was about one step away from tapping his foot and waggling his finger at me, I could tell. "Well, my point is that we have water safety rules for a reason. I am on vacation — I will not be thrilled if I have to perform any life saving manoeuvres on any of my kids because of a careless accident that could have been avoided with proper supervision," he ranted lightly.

"So what if I slip? It's not like having someone _watch _me crack my head open is going to stop it from happening!"

"Excuse me?" he asked.

_Oops._ Carlisle was getting upset… maybe? It was too hard to tell with him. I wondered if it was a vein I saw popping out of his normally smooth forehead, or if it was just my imagination that he appeared to be losing his temper.

His expression was definitely telling me he was not pleased with my response, but he just stood there, passively, watching me. Then he said, "In this family, we look out for one another," his voice firm. "And that is not a request, Rosalie. That is what families do."

"Whatever," I grumbled and looked away. I hated his speeches. It wasn't like _we_ were family anyway. I don't know why they had to include me. "I'm just going to sit on the dock for a bit. Don't worry... I won't jump in and _strangle_ _myself_ with boat rope."

Perhaps the sarcasm was a bit too much. It didn't help that Edward made a loud choking noise now to draw attention to it. I could see that it was not the response they wanted from me. Esme's hand was pressed to her chest in horror and she stared at me as if I had just burned the flag, or a book, or something... _All I wanted was some time to myself, damn it!_

Carlisle stepped one step closer, but he was still a few feet away so I didn't react. "Or you could just take a seat right here and think up a more polite way to speak to me, young lady..."

_Young lady? What time machine did we just hop out of and who did he think he was to talk to me like that?_ I scoffed at him, just a tiny puff of air, and eyed him carefully. He couldn't stop me from going outside.

"You have a choice. You either ask someone to go down to the lake with you, or you don't go at all," he said plainly.

Esme gave me a pleading look — not desperate, but hopeful.

I felt like screaming. _I hate this family! I hate them all! _ But I knew that it would be pointless. It didn't really matter how I felt about them. I was stuck here until they grew tired of having me or the summer came to an end.

"I won't go then," I spit out as I threw down my hands and turned my back to them. I walked into the bedroom and pulled on the door with great force. The door was lighter than I anticipated and it slammed a lot harder than I wanted it to, but it felt really good to get some of my anger out.

"Rosalie..." I heard Dr Cullen call out after me. It sounded like he was not far from the other side of the door.

"No, let her have some time to calm down first, Carlisle," Esme said urgently. Then, in a somewhat hushed voice that was hard to make out, but if I concentrated hard enough I could understand what she was saying, she added, "She'll come around. She's a good girl."

I waited for more, but I could only hear the slight shuffling of feet and muffled voices getting further from me.

_Thank you, Esme!_ Space — that is what I wanted... _I think._

I was a little bit shocked and disappointment that no one came after me. I sighed and plopped down on my bed. This was not what I wanted. I was trapped inside, feeling even more alone then ever — isolated even. I started to feel guilty for talking back to Carlisle and for slamming the door. It wasn't like he yelled back even, so the freak out was all on me.

I was growing anxious and I almost went back to tell them I would just ask Alice or Bella or someone to go with me to the lake, but then I looked at the window, half open, and had a better idea. Fuck the apology plan! I would just go to the lake and if I died sometime along the way, so be it! No one would miss me — obviously — or someone would have come after me by now. And who said I was a good girl? That was up to me!

I had no trouble quietly sliding the window open all the way. There was no screen so I climbed onto the sill, sat down, and then hoped easily down on the other side into the grass. _Piece of cake!_

I didn't care if they could see me walking across the lawn towards the trail by the lake. If they had been looking out the windows they would have noticed, but as I passed Jasper and Emmett, still knocking a hockey puck around, no one said anything to me. I marched to the trail and just kept walking; surprised that it had been so easy. I half expected Carlisle to be calling out after me or Esme to run over and hug me back inside.

But no one came... and it was very quiet as I meandered down the trail. I was too stubborn to stop walking or to look back. I could not believe that I had gotten away with sneaking out of the cabin and no one had figured out I was missing yet. Surely they would want to yell at me, right?

As the minutes passed, feeling like hours, I grew angrier as I imagined what they would have to say to me when they did find out I had disobeyed them. I could hear Carlisle's ridiculously calm voice patronizing me in my mind. I thought up what he might say and I chose my comebacks for each scenario. If Esme wanted to hug me or some other such lovey-dovey manipulation, I would push her away and tell her to leave me the fuck alone!

I hugged myself as I walked, wanting to turn back. I knew that I was acting terribly and if the Cullens found me missing and called Clara, I would have to leave. I was not so sure I wanted that to happen, but the pain built in my chest, and then it burned behind my eyes. Before I could control myself, I was crying. After a couple more minutes I stopped myself from going any further. I must have walked a quarter mile — it was time to go back.

_Maybe they will forgive me..._

"Hey! What do we have here?" A voice came from beside me. I jumped and turned to notice I was not alone anymore. There were a couple of teenage boys, a lot older than myself, that had joined the trail. One smiled at me with a cheeky grin. His hair looked wet, but it was just very gelled with grease.

I immediately felt fear run through me.

"Looks like a pretty girl," the other, shorter one, answered back. I could smell alcohol on his breath. "Out here, all alone. Are you lost, hot stuff?"

I shook my head. "I live just over there! I was going for a walk." My voice was shaky and I hated myself again. "I was just heading back. I gotta go."

"Why the rush? You look like the kind of girl who knows how to get 'er done. Let's have some fun!"

"There are people waiting for me," I lied. I wished it were true.

"You look like you need a hug, doll. Come here and let me show you a good time," the tall, bigger boy said, reaching out for my arm. I backed away, but the other guy was behind me now and I bumped into him. "Then...we'll take you home."

"Someone will be looking for me! I really have to get going."

"And I bet no one knows you are gone. You've been crying. Did you have a fight with your mommy and daddy and run away from home? Let me kiss you better..." the tall boy with greasy hair said. He was teasing me, just like Royce used to do, and just like James had done.

I was in trouble now. I tried to move around him, but the other stepped in my way and grabbed my arm — right on the healing bruise — and I cried out more in fear than in pain.

As a hand reached out to grab my ass, a set of larger hands ripped the smaller guy away from my side and I saw Emmett standing next to me. I don't know where he came from — he had crept up so fast I had not seen him coming. He looked like the incredible hulk, only he was not green.

If anything, the other guys appeared green. I was not the frightened one anymore — somehow Emmett had made that feeling wash away and I felt a sense of smug pride as he whooped their asses!

A second later, the other guy was on the ground too, bleeding from the nose. I had missed the hit, but Emmett shook out his hand so I knew what had happened.

"You better not ever — EVER — come near her again! DO YOU HEAR ME?" Emmett yelled. If this was a cartoon, there would have been steam coming from his ears for sure. I was shaking from the tone of his usually playful, deep voice. But I wasn't afraid... I was enthralled.

"We were just playing, dude. We meant no harm!" the short guy pleaded. The other was trying to wipe the blood from his nose, but it kept gushing. I was sure it was broken. It looked horribly painful.

"GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE! If I see you again I will not stop at one punch. I will smash your face in until you are seeing out of the BACK OF YOUR HEAD!" Emmett blared.

They scrambled to their feet and stumbled away; blood droplets were all that remained on the trail.

"Are you okay?" Emmett asked me, turning to me. I gasped when he reached out for me and I stepped back. He held up his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I am not going to hurt you, Rose. I swear. I just came after to you to make sure you had a buddy and it is a good thing I did. Did those boys hurt you? If they did, I will-"

"No. No, you got here before they could — I don't know what they wanted. I was just about to go back," I explained poorly. I was still a bit shaken. I was rubbing my arm to remove the fingerprints that felt ingrained on my skin. It was in my head, he had not grabbed me that hard. I just felt so ashamed somehow and I wanted to hide the evidence.

Emmett frowned and stepped a bit closer. "They hurt your arm. I saw how rough he was. Let me take you to Dad and he will take care of you."

I shook my head, and tears threatened to fall again. I didn't want to go see Carlisle. I was not hurt. Emmett nodded. He was eager to please me, as usual. He took off his giant hoodie and stepped closer to give it to me. I winced and stopped his hand.

"But you are shaking..."

He was right. I was, and I was a bit chilled in the shade of the trees around us. Out of the direct sunlight, with a breeze coming from off the lake, it was cold. He tried again with his sweater and I let him place it around my shoulders. "Thank you," I told him.

"Come on. Let's go home," he replied and he led the way.

We walked in silence the whole way back. He was seething, breathing heavily, and he looked upset — maybe with me. I was a lot warmer now, but feeling slightly ill about what I was going to tell Esme and Carlisle. They were going to send me packing. I had messed up. And Emmett's hand was bleeding. I could see that as it clenched into a tight fist as he walked with his hands by his sides. I had gotten their son injured. This was bad.

"Who sent you after me?" I asked as the cabin came back into view. I was simply curious if it had been Esme or Carlisle — not that it mattered.

"No one," he stopped when I did and he turned around to face me. "I saw you sneaking out of your bedroom window. I watched you leave and when you went off on the trail alone, I told Jasper I had plans with you and followed you so you would not get into trouble with mom and dad for going off alone."

"You did that... for me? But when I left you were playing with Jasper. I didn't think anyone saw me leave."

"Ya. I'm just sorry I didn't come sooner. It took me some time to figure out you were actually taking off at full sprint and then I had to get Jasper to promise not to say anything..."

"I would have been fine, you know," I stated petulantly. It wasn't a complete lie. I had been through much worse than a little groping. Those boys were amateurs — I could have probably taken them on or at least run from them. They had been drinking, after all.

"I'm still glad I found you," he said without argument.

"So they don't know I snuck out?" I asked, motioning the cabin.

Emmett shook his head and his thick curls bounced around his face. He looked so much more innocent now than when he was snarling at those boys a few minutes ago. "I told Jasper not to mention where you were unless they asked him. If they do he is going to tell them we went for a walk together."

"That was..." I started to say. I wanted to thank him more. I didn't want to go back inside yet. "I am going to go sit on the dock for a bit."

I didn't say anything; I just waited for him to say more. He grew a bit fidgety standing there so I began to walk towards the dock. I had a feeling he would follow me. I secretly wanted him to. I didn't like being alone — not when he was around.

I made it to the end of the dock and sat down, hugging my knees to my chest. I felt the dock bob up and down as his footsteps grew nearer. It made me smile slightly to know he had followed me.

"Uh... can I sit down next to you?" he asked as soon as he approached my side.

I craned my neck to look up at him, hiding my smile the best I could.

"I mean, I won't talk if you want to just think or whatever," he offered. He looked like a sad puppy, wringing his hands together as if I might try to hit him with a newspaper or shoo him with a broom.

It was hurting my neck to look up at him. I did believe he was a good guy. I wanted to believe he would never do anything to hurt me — to make me uncomfortable. He was so good at letting me be in change. It put me at ease to have that control over him. And yet, the one time when he needed to take charge he did, and it had been so chivalrous of him.

"Sit down then," I said and I looked back out over the water. The dock made a huge dip as he sat a few feet away and he slipped off his big shoes and socks and splashed his feet into the clear water. Then he sighed and looked at me and he placed his hands in his lap.

"What?" I asked roughly after he just stared at me for a long moment.

"Nothin'... I was just wondering what you were thinking about. Are you sure you don't want me to get Mom or Dad?"

I felt my eyes roll back instinctually. _No way!_ He was a little slow, perhaps.

"That was something that you should probably not keep bottled up inside you, Rose. I mean... it is okay if you were scared and you need to talk about it."

"I'm fine. Nothing happened," I told him firmly. I hated to think about what might have happened if he had not shown up, though. "And besides," I added, "It's not secret — nothing is anymore — you know about it all so I have nothing more to tell!"

There was a huge gap of time when we both just stared at each other. When that became awkward, we looked out to the water. His hand looked sore and I felt bad that he had gotten hurt because of me. I had a couple of clean tissues in my pocket so I took them out and bent over into the crystal clear water and got them wet. I squeezed most of the moisture out of them reached for Emmett's hand.

"It's fine," he insisted, letting me take his hand into mine. I felt a pleasant shiver flow through my hand and up my arm towards my heart. "You don't have to-"

"I want to!" I interrupted. Our eyes met and I quickly looked back down at his hand as I dabbed away the dried blood. "Besides... I am guessing your dad will not be impressed if you show up all bloodied up. At least if it is mostly washed off, it won't look nearly so bad. I bet he won't even yell at me."

"Dad doesn't yell," Emmett laughed. His smile was perfect. "He doesn't have it in him. He loves us all too much."

"I made him yell once..." I reminded Emmett.

"That... was not yelling. _That _was raising his voice. And it is different if he is protecting one of us or Mom," Emmett corrected me. I scoffed at him, but he didn't find it funny. He gave me a hard look and added, "You were out of line with what you said to Mom that day. I don't blame him for raising his voice if it made you realize what a bitch you were being."

I looked down and let his hand go. I put the soiled, wet tissue down in between us. After a moment he picked it up and put it in his pocket to clean up. Then he sighed and turned to me.

"I know you had some really fu– I mean – messed up shit happen to you and all..." he began. He dropped his eyes to look at the dock in between us. "But now you are safe here with us."

"What is your point?" I pressed.

"Well... why are you still so unhappy? Why do you not want us to help you?"

"_Why?_" My voice cracked. I stared at him incredulously.

"None of us are gonna hurt you. We are all being really nice to you too, even though you act like a bitch most of the time. If any of us acted like you did, we would be grounded or have allowance taken away or something..."

"So you think I'm a bitch?" I asked him, letting my legs fold into a pretzel and my hands drop to my sides. That was twice now he had called me one. I wasn't really surprised — just by his boldness.

"No!" he responded quickly. Then he shook his head and looked me in the eyes with a sympathetic frown. "I mean, ya, kinda… you act like one sometimes. I don't think you are one, though."

I was stunned. No one had ever called me a bitch and not said it in a mean way before. I didn't even feel angry at him for being honest.

"Look, I am not the brainiest guy, but I know that you act that way because you think it makes you look tough. It is classic bully behaviour. You don't want to be the one to get hurt, so you hurt others. We have had school assemblies about this stuff..."

"I don't — I mean, I don't try to..." I faltered. _What the hell was happening to me? _I had lost my edge — my control.

"Hey, it's cool. I get that you are scared of bad things happening to you again if you let your guard down. What happened with those jerks must have been a harsh reminder... But while you are here — and it is summer and we are out on the lake and there is lots of fun stuff to do... why don't you try to lighten up and have some fun?"

"Lighten up?" I asked meekly. Again, I should have been livid with the way he was speaking to me. Normally, I would have been, but Emmett spoke so straightforwardly that he was easy to talk to.

"Would ya? I will watch your back so you don't have to… and then you can just focus on being happy," he told me. "And less bitchy... maybe? One step at a time, though."

His eyes met mine and I opened my mouth to protest or to tell him to fuck off or something, but I couldn't do it. He was too sincere and too adorable. The way his lips twitched into a semi-smile and huge craters for dimples marked his cheeks — oh, he was just so beautiful! And he wanted me to be happy — _really?_ I wanted to believe it was possible to feel safe around him. He had beaten up those assholes for me. It seemed like he meant what he said.

"I promise I will protect you, Rosalie," he told me. "I mean it — I can be your body guard if you will let me. Even if you say no, I still won't let anyone hurt you."

"You'd really do that?" I asked, my voice naturally sounding flirty.

"I'd do anything for you, Rosalie. I will make sure to always be within shouting distance so if you are scared you can call for me. I will come right away if you call my name."

"That's..." I was at a loss for words. He was so sweet.

"And no one is going to mess with these babies!" he exclaimed proudly, flexing the muscles in his arms. In his tight, white t-shirt his whole chest heaved and contracted, the muscles were more visible to me now for some reason.

"Uh..." I hummed. My mouth was hanging open a bit — it was a wonder I was not drooling on myself. I snapped out of it and found his eyes again. They were still so innocently staring at mine. "Thanks, Em."

"Hey. You called me Em!" he sang boisterously. He toned his excitement and splashed his feet in the water. "It means you like me."

"It means I heard others call you that and it got stuck in my head. Let's not get carried away," I told him, hoisting myself up to standing.

"Okie dokie, but I think you like me," he insisted playfully as he jumped up, making the dock dip and rise a few times. He gathered his socks and shoes to carry. I felt like pushing him — playfully this time — but I didn't dare since it might ruin the moment if he fell into the lake.

He didn't walk with me right away so I stopped and waited.

"Can you trust me to protect you, Rose?" he asked me again. I knew he was going to expect a full answer from me this time. He walked up to me and fixed his sweater more snugly around my shoulders. I didn't flinch this time and he smiled when he caught this fact too. "...So you can be happy."

"I'll try," was the best answer I could give him. It still made him smile so wide that his dimples practically reached his eyes_. Oh dear Lord! What spell was I under?_

As we made our way off the dock, I happened to glance into the lake and saw something that made me abruptly stop and gawk. "Oh no!" I moaned. I could not believe my eyes. And I had been such an ass about it earlier...

"What?" Emmett asked, by my side in an instant.

Under the water, barely visible, was a long, beige rope coiled a few times and loose at the bottom of the lake. "Rope," I groaned.

"Yeeeesss..." Emmett stretched out his response like I was insane. "It ties the dock down to some cement blocks so it doesn't move too much when we walk on it." He mocked me even though he had no idea of the fuss I had made earlier about the rope. I deserved to be mocked.

"I think I owe your Dad an apology..." I sighed and I rubbed at the tension in my temples whole-handedly. I was not good at apologies. And I didn't want to face Dr Cullen.

Emmett didn't see the problem. He wrapped an arm around me and walked me off the dock and up the hill towards the house. "Don't worry about it. You're family, Rose. Dad has already forgiven you for whatever it is you have said or done. Trust me."

To Be Continued...

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_**Thank you for reading.**_

_Tell me what you think. **Rosalie did a stupid thing, eh? How do you feel about Emmett offering to be her body guard?** ;) Hehehe. **Also...did everyone get there review responses and chapter 14 previews this week?** I sent them out a few days ago, but was not sure if the site was working properly or not.  
_

_Coming up in chapter 15: Rosalie has a hard time explaining what happened in the woods to Carlisle and Esme, but Emmett is there to 'help' her. ;)_

_*The next update will be on Monday, June 14th, two weeks from today. Chapter previews are still available via review response._


	15. Chapter 15 Found My Flavour

_Thank you to Catharticone and RandomSugarRush for their continuous support and help! _

_Disclaimer: The Twilight Saga Characters belong to Stephanie Meyer.  
_

_Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed. I love to hear your feedback, especially on what you like so I can try to write more of that into the story. I hope you will all enjoy this chapter...I really enjoyed writing it. :)  
_

_

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_**Thorns**

**Chapter Fifteen**

I wasn't quite sure what the reaction would be when Emmett and I returned, but I knew that I wasn't going to get away with what I had done. Even if they had not known I was missing for that short time and I could sneak back into the bedroom window, Emmett's hand would need explaining. He didn't seem like the type who would just go out and punch a tree for the hell of it! And Jasper could always slip and tell them about my taking off.

So, I decided I was going to fess up… sort of. I was not great at admitting my wrongs, and this time even more was at stake.

As we walked back to the cabin, I slipped out of Emmett's grasp. I liked his arm around me — it ignited a new kind of fear burning inside me — but I didn't want him to think he could just do that sort of thing whenever he wanted. Just because he acted like a hero and I his damsel — _gag me_ — did not mean I liked him _that_ much. Things were happening too fast.

_Why did __I agree to let him 'protect me'? How lame was I?_ It felt a little too much like Bella and Edward's relationship than I cared for it to.

"Sorry," Emmett apologized, and he slipped his hands behind his back sweetly.

I gave him a brief attempt at a smile. I didn't mean to reject him so coldly. Not after how nice he had been to me today.

"It's okay. But if I am about to get in shit for this, I don't want to take you down with me."

"Let me handle Mom and Dad, Rose," Emmett told me. "I've got this." And before I could argue he was reaching for the door as it swung open. Esme stood there, her face unreadable.

_Did she know I had been missing?_

"Rosalie? Wh — what are you doing outside?"

I guess they had still thought I was in the bedroom. I was not sure if this was good news or bad news, but my mind went blank searching for excuses.

"It's cool, Mom. I asked Rose to go for a walk with me!" Emmett lied. He was trying so hard to be convincing that he practically screamed, "LIE!" And Esme was not stupid! One of her eyebrows raised and she gave Emmett an incredulous look. Then her eyes went to his hand and I knew we were screwed.

"Oh, my goodness. Baby… you're bleeding!" She fussed over him. "What happened?"

I would have normally found amusement in her calling him "baby" but the way she said it was so authentic, like she really thought of him as her baby. I felt like shit for getting him hurt. Esme was going to hate me when she learned the truth. She would think I was a danger to her child — just like Vera had.

Emmett patted his mom's head and shrugged off his injury. "It's cool, Mom. I just tripped and fell is all. No big deal!"

"Let me see your hand," Carlisle gently demanded as he appeared beside us looking worried. Emmett seemed to know better than to refuse his father. He sighed and surrendered his bloodied fist. Carlisle's brow creased with scepticism. "You say you... fell?"

_Oh no..._ I knew Carlisle was not stupid either. Emmett shifted his weight from foot to foot a few times and he mumbled out some lie about tripping because he was startled. He sucked at lying!

"And so the squirrel jumped out of the tree right in front of me and I fell and-"

"You fell to the ground fist first?" Esme inquired. "Why would you do that?"

"Emmett," Carlisle spoke seriously, "this is not from hitting gravel or dirt. The wound is too clean."

"Uh… well, I — you see… Rosalie cleaned it after and-"

"It's my fault!" I blurted out. Everyone looked at me. I could even feel the staring eyes of the others sitting in the family room.

"How did this happen?" Carlisle asked me. It was like there was some force demanding me to tell him the truth.

"He — there were these — and I..." I didn't know where to start. Esme stepped toward me and I flinched as her arm went up. She pulled me into her for a hug — it was only a hug. I managed to blurt out some more of the story. "Emmett was only helping. It was my fault."

"Emmett. Tell me what happened," Carlisle insisted.

"These guys were harassing her. I made them stop, that's all."

Esme spoke next — to me. "Did they hurt you? Are you hurt anywhere, darling?" she asked holding me out in front of her to she could see my face. I shook my head as I avoided her eyes. She pulled me into her again and hugged me tightly. I felt her fingers brushing through my hair as she continued to console me. "Oh, I am so sorry Rosalie. I am so, so sorry you had to go through that. It shouldn't have happened."

"I'm okay. Emmett was there," I mumbled. It was not a full lie, but I hoped they would not find out that I had run off by myself. So far, Esme and Carlisle were reacting fairly decently about this whole thing. I didn't want to push my luck. Carlisle was still looking over Emmett's hand with a critical eye. He was not pleased.

"You hit his mouth? It looks like teeth did this," Carlisle commented, taking a closer look at the few open wounds on Emmett's knuckles. It was just the fourth and fifth knuckle that had been split open. The rest of his fist hit nose. Emmett nodded in response.

"Ya, Dad. I'm sorry. I know you always say to use my words, but I got so mad. Words didn't seem to be enough to punish him for how rude he was being to Rose. I just wanted to teach him a lesson, you know?"

I expected Carlisle to be angry, but he closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. "Have a seat at the table. I will get my bag," he replied. Then he walked away towards the loft.

Emmett did as he was told and headed to the table to wait for his dad. Esme kissed the top of my head and let me go. She whispered in my ear to go have a seat at the table as well. I was unsure why, but I obeyed and sat down next to Emmett in silence while Esme ordered the others to their rooms. Alice complained mildly, but Bella tugged her along and soon it was just the four of us all seated around the table as Carlisle tended to Emmett's hand.

Carlisle was first to break the silence as he finished cleaning and bandaging Emmett's knuckles. "I am not sure what to say right now. I feel relief that you are both home and safe, but I am still unclear what you two were doing going out for a walk without our consent. And last I was aware, Rosalie was safe in her room… What happened?"

"Well… you see, we-" Emmett started.

"I think we'd like to hear from Rosalie first," Esme interrupted.

_Oh shit!_

"From the beginning, please," Esme requested. Then she turned to me, and I couldn't help myself. The tears came freely, and not on purpose this time...

* * *

It could have been worse… I could have actually died instead of just thinking I was going to. I really wish I had been stronger, but after the day I had, I was already feeling so weak… I lost control over my body and it went into survival mode on me.

Carlisle had first thought it was shock, which it probably was a bit, because I was shaking as I tried to tell them what had happened. He kept telling me to breathe. _Seriously, asshole — I know how to breathe! _I wasn't doing any of this on purpose to make his day less sunny!

I had been crying already, which was a theme for me since coming to live with the Cullens. Carlisle was trying to help when he placed a blanket around me and took my pulse, but I think that is what set me off, because soon after it felt like there was a huge weight crushing my chest and my heart beat so fast I thought it was going to burst. Esme was the only small comfort. She knew not to hold me, that would have made me feel even more trapped, but she knelt down beside me and she rubbed my back as I tried to relax.

Emmett was no help at all. He didn't know what to say, and he just sat silently as I refused to look at him. It was humiliating enough to freak out like I did, but to have my very first full-blown panic attack in front of him was embarrassing. I had wanted to prove myself stronger in his presence.

Unfortunately, I was rendered useless as Carlisle kept a distance from me and instructed me on my breathing. When I would give up and say I couldn't breathe, he would insist, "Yes, you can sweetheart. Slowly… take another slow breath in, through the nose, darling. That's it. Good… you are going to be just fine."

_Was I going to be fine? Would I ever be fine?_

I had been so mad at him for trying to help. I don't know why — I was just so messed up. It took all my will not to lash out and tell him to fuck off! I am glad I didn't because he really was trying to help me, but I was so overwhelmed and frightened it was hard not to hate the perfect man before me — who kept saying the kindest, most compassionate words to me, even though I would not let him touch me. I had been waiting for him to get mad or to say that I had to leave because I was causing too much trouble in their family, but he never did.

He and Esme thought I was panicking because of what happened with the boys in the woods — which may have been a part of it — but really I was so scared they would send me away. I had never cared before… well, with Vera I had — and that broke my heart so badly I never wanted to go through that again.

Now, we were all silent. Everything had been said. They knew I snuck out — I had started with that. And they knew that I had walked off on my own — I had to tell them, it was eating away at me when Emmett tried to tell them we had gone off together. Besides, it didn't make sense. If Emmett had been with me, those guys would not have bothered me in the first place. Emmett filled them in on what happened after he clobbered that guy's face.

"Do you suppose we should call the police?" Esme wondered out loud in a soft voice.

"No!" I blurted out hastily. I felt the blood pump harder through my veins once more and hoped I was not going to start freaking out again. The four of us were all pretty calm and rational by this point, so I didn't want to ruin that with another raging spout of anxiety.

"Shh, baby… we will take care of everything. Don't worry. I just think we might want to report them… in case they are a danger to other girls," Esme explained to me, her hand still touching me — this time on my knee. She looked to her husband for his opinion. He was thoughtful, pinching the bridge of his nose as he took in a deep breath of his own this time.

"You are absolutely sure they didn't hurt you, Rosalie?" Carlisle asked me once more. "Emmett mentioned that one boy handled you roughly."

"I'm not hurt," I told him again.

"Good." He exhaled airily and then continued to speak. "Well… I don't want to demean the seriousness of what those two boys did to you, Rose dear, but if there is no proof of what they were saying to you, only your word and Emmett's, and we don't have any names or whereabouts to find these kids… I think it is best we don't call the police. We don't want Emmett to be charged with assault. You say the boy's nose looked broken?"

"I hit him pretty hard, Dad," Emmett admitted in a quieter voice than he normally used. "But I didn't really get a good look at him after. All I remember was seeing Rosalie, and I wanted to make sure she was okay."

All eyes seemed to rest on me. Esme smiled so sweetly in my direction and then back at Emmett it made me squirm in my seat a little bit. Maybe they wanted my opinion too. "It was all, like, smashed in and gushing blood… I am sure you broke it, Em," I said with a little grimace as I recalled the boy's red face as he backed away in fear. I was sure that he would not be bothering me again — not after meeting Emmett.

"Alright, well then… if it is okay with you, Rosalie, we won't involve the police. Is that what you want, darling?" Esme asked me gently. I nodded.

"Is there anything else you need to tell us?" Carlisle questioned. I shrugged weakly.

"I don't think so..."

Still, Esme asked, "Is there anything we can do for you now? Do you feel like you want to rest for a while? Dinner is going to be late, but I can make you a snack if you feel like eating..."

"I could eat," Emmett admitted honestly. I smiled as Carlisle let out a soft chuckle as his son's timing.

"What else is new?" Esme teased Emmett. She sighed contently and focused her attention back on me. "Do want me to make you something to eat, honey?"

"No… thank you. I think maybe I should just clean up a bit," I said softly, wiping my eye and seeing black make up smeared on my fingertip. I must have looked like hell. First priority was to get my face back in order... before I had to face Bella and what was no doubt going to be a smug "serves you right" comment from her.

"Alright. Are you okay on your own?" she asked as she helped me to stand. I would have liked to roll my eyes, but she was kind of right on — I was a bit shaky still. I think it was just nerves. They had not given me the final verdict on my punishment... or my banishment from their home!

"Ya... I can manage," I told her. I paused and looked at the table. "Uh... so is that it then?"

"What do you mean?" she asked curiously.

"Like... I can still stay here, right? You're not going to send me away now — back to Clara?" It was better to ask straight out and know in advance rather than find out later, or in the middle of the night when it is not expected.

"Of course you're staying! Where else would you go?" Emmett said immediately, standing up like there was a fire. Carlisle stood too. I don't know how she moved so quickly, but Esme was suddenly wrapped around me, and she began petting me like I was a frightened kitten seeking refuge in her arms.

"We don't want you to leave, Rosalie," Carlisle told me steadily. I could not see him — I was still stuck in Esme's surprisingly strong arms — but he sounded sincere. "You are welcome here and are, as always, going to be treated like one of the family. Nothing has changed, but please… please don't ever go running off behind out backs again. We can't keep you safe if we don't know where you are."

"If anything would have happened to you, we would have been devastated. Please — please promise us you won't take off like that again!" Esme cooed in my ear as she swayed me a bit in her tight embrace. "You could have been hurt — or worse!" She had basically rephrased what Carlisle had said, but having them both on my case made me feel even guiltier for what I had done.

"Um..." _What was happening? They wanted me stay? They would have been devastated?_ It was too easy! I thought for sure they would be angry with me for running away.

"It was an incredibly dangerous thing to do, dear," Esme added, still holding me tightly.

"I'm... sorry?" I mumbled uncertainly. _Wow — lamest apology ever!_ "I was... upset. I don't know why I did it. It was... stupid." When Esme released me I wasn't sure what to expect. She simply smiled, though her eyes appeared sad, and she nodded quickly.

"You are forgiven, sweetie," she told me. "Of course you were upset. We understand how difficult it must be for you to adjust to another new family…"

"You may think we are terribly strict with guidelines, honey... but they are there for a reason," Carlisle interrupted. "From now on you will have to abide by them a little better. If anything had happened to you today, without us there supervising, you could be taken away from us — and though we would fight to keep you, social services might deem us unable to care for you. And we do _care_ about you so much, Rosalie. Please believe me when I say that we only want what is best for you." Carlisle placed a hand on my shoulder tentatively. I almost didn't flinch this time.

"Promise you'll stay close to home from now on — that you won't leave us again?" Esme begged, holding me out in front of her again. Her green eyes glistened with watery intensity. I choked back a lump in my throat and nodded, my words failing me. Emmett coughed uncomfortably beside me as if to push me to say the words.

"I promise," I whispered pathetically. It didn't really surprise me, but Esme tugged me into her chest and squished me so tightly I could hardly breathe. It sounded like she was crying as she shook a bit.

"That makes me so happy, Rosalie. Thank you. You'll see... everything is going to work out just fine — everything will be okay."

I don't know what she meant by that, but it was nice to hear. She seemed so certain. I wanted to be sure that everything was going to be okay, too.

"Aw... one big, happy family," Emmett said. Then suddenly the little bit of air in my lungs was gone as he wrapped himself around Esme and me. "Bear hug!"

A few seconds went by and then he added more seriously, "Hate to break up this touchy-feely love-time going on here, but my stomach won't feed itself. Let's find food!" Then he let us go. Esme laughed as she regained her composure and I shimmied aside out of anyone's arm's reach. Baby steps...

Esme laughed again. "I will see what I can whip up, darling."

"I have a better idea..." Carlisle suggested, "We'll go out to eat."

"Yay, yay, yay, yay!" Alice screamed running out of her bedroom eagerly. "Please, mommy? Please can we go to Marty's?"

"No way, Runt! We're going to Willie's!" Emmett put in his request loudly.

"I want tacos!"

"Well, I want big-ass, beef burger!"

"Alright you two — simmer down. We don't have to decide right away. Go get washed up. We meet out by the truck in five minutes," Carlisle instructed over the cacophony.

Soon the whole family was trying to decide between two horrible sounding restaurants. Esme asked me if I was okay with going out. She said if I was feeling a bit shook up from earlier that she would stay home and cook for me and let the others go out. I kind of liked the sound of that, but it seemed unfair to make Esme cook for just me when she probably would like having a night off from cooking. She mentioned something about the best ice cream on the planet at this little treat shop across from the restaurants, and she sounded eager to go out so I agreed to go out, too.

* * *

In the end it turned into a vote, which could have been pointless seeing as we were an even numbered group. 'Marty's Chilli Nights' took the win over 'Willie's BBQ' and we were now sitting in the rustic, Mexican restaurant just off Route 28.

Emmett had his heart set on a beef burger so he pouted a little bit at first — then he found a platter for two on the menu that looked filling enough for his large appetite so he cheered up. It was also funny to see how he shooed his father away from his hand — insisting it was no big deal.

"I. Don't. Need. Any. More. Ice!"

Pissy Emmett was kind of adorable when provoked — there was something so harmless about him when he interacted with us. Although, I had seen today that he had the power to fight back when there was a real threat. He didn't scare me the way other men did, though. If anything, the fear I felt when I looked at him was entirely new to me.

After dinner, I sat back at the table with Carlisle and Esme while the others all played games at the arcade next door. Then someone mentioned ice cream and Carlisle caved and took them all across the street for a cone while Esme and I waited for the bill to come. Emmett looked disappointed when he learned I was not going for ice cream. While Esme went to the desk to pay, he snuck into the booth across from me and gave me a poignant look.

"Seriously... no ice cream? This disappoints me, Hale."

"I don't like ice cream."

"That's… that's the stupidest thing I have ever heard."

I gasped in offense, though I am not sure if I really was offended. The drama just came out of me like carbon dioxide. "You can go join the others. Nothing is stopping you!" I told him firmly. He shook his head and smiled slightly.

"I can't leave you, remember? I promised to be within shouting distance and the ice cream shop is across the street so that means if you don't go, I don't go. And well, I like ice cream... I _really_ like ice cream — almost better than I like meat!" he shared with me, "So please let me take you across the street for a cone! Have a heart." He blinked his eyes at me coyly and tried pouting like Alice would sometimes do to get her way.

"Nice try," I said, laughing at how ridiculous he looked. "If you really want ice cream, you should get some. I am not in any danger staying with your mom — unless a person can die from too much physical contact..." I rolled my eyes in Esme's direction.

"Aw... she's a mom. That's what they do — hug a lot."

"I wouldn't know," I replied bitterly, looking down at the table.

"Oh. Okay... Uh... I'm sorry for saying that if it upsets you. I have a big mouth sometimes. But... lots of hugs are better than no hugs at all, right?"

I sighed, not wanting to really answer that.

"Come with me," he asked of me once more. "Please?"

Esme returned and put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed it tenderly like I might try to run away again if she didn't have one hand on my at all times. Then her hand went to stroke my hair.

That finalized my decision. "Okay. I will go with you," I conceded unenthusiastically — I didn't want him thinking I was doing it for his benefit.

"Woot!" Emmett bellowed and he slid out of the booth and stood up. Esme moved as I motioned to get up as well. It surprised me when he held out his big palm to me for me to use as leverage, and I hesitated for only a second before taking it, careful not to be rough if his hand was sore.

"Are you two going to join the others?" Esme asked, her face lighting up. Emmett answered her with a kiss on her cheek.

"Yep! I am taking Rose for ice cream. You coming too, Mom?"

"No, thank you, dear. Your father said he would bring me a cup of the chocolate, black cherry swirl. Oh, it is so good! It is almost better than-"

"T M I, Mom!" Emmett stopped her. She giggled and let us pass by her.

"Have fun! Let your father know I will be in the antique shop if he is looking for me, okay my darlings?"

"Yep!" Emmett agreed and I nodded. Then Emmett's strong hand tightened around mine and he led me out of the restaurant and across the street to the ice cream shop.

Bella and Edward were both quietly licking their cones outside on a picnic table. Vanilla for Bella — _figures_ — and Edward's was white with pink splotches — strawberry I think. Jasper and Alice were both sticky looking with ice cream on their nose, lips, and chin. Alice's face was yellow and Jasper's was blue. Carlisle didn't have anything but a small cup of ice cream wrapped up for Esme.

"Mom's in the antique shop," Emmett relayed the message.

Carlisle smiled fondly. "I had better go bring this to her before it melts. I think she might cry if it came down to that — she has been craving this ice cream ever since we got here."

"I think she'd still eat it, Dad," Emmett pointed out with a laugh. Carlisle nodded and chuckled as well.

"Well… grab some ice cream, you two." Carlisle said pulled out his wallet and handed Emmett a twenty. "...and join us at the car when you're done. We will head home soon."

"Thanks!" Emmett said, patting his dad on the back solidly, making him hunch over. Carlisle coughed and straightened up his posture again.

I followed Emmett inside and watched him happily peer at the selection of flavours under the glass sneeze guard. He was a giant kid — I could picture him with overalls on and one of those hats with a spinner on top. I giggled to myself.

"What's so funny?"

"You," I told him, coming up to stand next to him. He asked for a double scoop cone of Rocky Road — which I had to admit, looked pretty damn tempting. It had been a while since I had tasted chocolate, but I remembered I had liked it a lot.

"You really love ice cream, don't you?" I asked to make conversation. It was easy with Emmett. He was non-judgemental — straightforward and honest. I liked that about him. He had called me a 'bitch' but it had not upset me... it kinda turned me on. I was not sure what that was about, but I was intrigued.

"Uh, ya! I can't believe you don't like ice cream! Or chocolate!" he said in disbelief as the girl handed his cone and his change back. "I thought all girls liked chocolate!"

"Oh, well… it is not really about liking it or not," I said as he led me to a small table and chairs and pulled a chair out for me to sit down. I took a seat and continued. "Lily told me ice cream was nothing but pure sugar and dairy fat so I have never actually tried it."

There was an eerie silence as Emmett stared at me. It made me self-conscious.

"What?" I inquired hastily.

"You've... never... had... ice cream?" he said in slow motion. My eyes narrowed and I folded my arms across my chest and shook my head. It felt like he was making fun of me, and that hit a nerve.

_Was he making fun of me?_

"Oh, my God!" he exclaimed so loudly the few people in the shop turned to look at us. I hushed him and looked around. I noticed that his siblings had all left with Carlisle so it was just the two of us left behind.

"It's not a big deal! Just eat your ice cream so we can go, okay?" I said in a hushed voice. "I am getting tired."

"Ya, 'cause you need ice cream," Emmett told me irrationally and he held out his cone in front of me to share. "You'll like it. Please try some..."

"No! I can't."

"You are being stupid again... uh, I mean... it's not going to kill you to have a little taste." I shook my head stubbornly at him for trying. "You won't be sorry. Look how Mom gets about her ice cream. She calls it 'sinful' for a good reason! Come on... just one little taste and I will never bother you again about trying it."

The frosty scoops of calico coloured ice cream glistened right in front of my nose where he held them out for me. I could sense he was not going to give up too easily and my walls began to weaken. One taste would not kill me. That was true...

I sighed and looked at him like he was being silly, but I leaned in and tentatively licked the top scoop. He smiled at me proudly.

_Oh, wow!_ It was good. It took a lot more strength then I could have imagined not to let out a moan of satisfaction.

"Good?" he asked with a cheeky, slanted grin.

"It was okay..."

"Liar!" he said playfully, and he shuffled closer to me with his chair so we were almost touching. He seemed to be having a good time — I was having fun, too. "Have some more! You didn't get any of the good stuff."

One more taste would not hurt. I didn't argue and I took a soft bite off the end of his cone. I got some nuts mixed in with the chocolate this time and I couldn't help myself — my eyes closed and a sigh escaped. I felt my lips curl with pleasure.

"You are so beautiful, Rose..." His words were so genuine sounding and I opened my eyes to find him watching me with longing. "... especially when you're happy."

I don't know what got into me, but it was as if my body was taken over by someone who was no longer afraid. My hands reached up slowly and my fingers wove into his thick, dark curls and latched on. He waited for me to make another move.

When I kissed him, he tasted sweet, of course — with chocolate fudge on his lips. However, Emmett tasted so much better than anything I had ever tried... even ice cream. I think I had just found my favourite flavour.

To Be Continued...

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_ **What did you think about Rosalie trying new things? **;) Lucky girl-ice cream and Emmett all at once! Some girls have all the luck!** How long do you think her 'happy' will last? Can Emmett keep her smiling?**_

_As always chapter 16 previews are available upon review response. I really do appreciate all of you who left feedback. It was a new record for me and It helps inspire me to write when I know that so many of you are enjoying the story. :)_

_**Thank you for reading and staying with me up to this point! **_

_Coming up Next- Rosalie and Bella are forced to spend some time together and it does not go down as planned. Dun dun dun..._


	16. Chapter 16 Do Unto Others

_As usual, thank you to Catharticone and RandomSugarRush for their contributions to the story. :)_

_Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed. I appreciate it!_

_Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer. I am only borrowing her characters for this fan fiction. Please don't sue me._

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**Thorns**

**Chapter Sixteen**

July 26th, 2009, Sunday

I was on summer holidays at last — and July was almost over. With my feet up, a book in my hands, and a cold drink beside me on a table... I was the most relaxed I had been in a long time. My only concern was holding down the hammock on this beautiful Sunday afternoon.

Esme had gone out in the canoe with Alice and Jasper so that left me 'in charge' of the older kids. I took this as a blessing. If any problem should arise while they were together, Bella was the responsible one, Edward was very protective of his siblings — Bella especially — and knew first aid meticulously, Emmett had strength and offered a different kind of protective quality to the group, and Rosalie...well, Rosalie was probably keeping them all on the edge of their seat with her tenacious demeanour. She was no shrinking violet — that was for sure!

There had been much stress accompanying Rosalie's admittance to the family more than three weeks ago. Those several weeks had been tense, to say the least. She had been very fearful of us at first, and therefore she lashed out at Esme, the kids, and me. It was shocking how cruel her words could be and how sincerely she was able to convey them — though I know in my heart she did not mean most of the things she screamed at me.

This type of self preservation was something our family had not been seen since Jasper first entered our lives. If I had to be honest, I would say that Jasper's emotional outbursts and tendency to fight physically when he felt threatened had been easier to tame than Rosalie's cold, disdainful attitude. I understood where her fears were coming from; and that her bold self-confidence was just a way to cope with how scared she was to open up to us and let us love her. But like Jasper, we would not give up on her.

Rosalie was already showing some signs of improvement. Her mood fluctuated up and down still... Edward had been right about one thing — she was not a morning person. We had all caught on to this fact and tried to give her some space before eleven o'clock. Otherwise, the morning would start off on the wrong note. And Heaven forbid the hot water ran out before she had her shower!

One thing that pleased me greatly was that she and Emmett were getting along much better these days — she was much more attentive with helping him with their chores and she had been meticulous about staying by his side when Esme or I were not around. I was very proud of her progress when it came to our 'buddy' system. She was really making an effort to follow the rules.

Rosalie appeared to have fewer walls up when she was around Emmett now. Sometimes she would blatantly tell him to, "Go away," but when he refused, she didn't throw a fit, so she must not be as intimidated by him as she once was. I think his chivalry that day in the woods had earned him her trust — somewhat. As much as I disliked any of my children using their fists in place of words, I could not blame Emmett for being angry at those boys for harassing Rosalie. I know he would not have acted violently unless there had been a real threat... and Emmett knows the difference.

He had been by her side routinely and whenever she wanted to go for a walk, they would go together. It worried me that they were allowed in the woods together — sometimes almost all day — but Esme reassured me they would be safe. Emmett knew the trails well and they knew the rules — no leaving the trail for any reason unless they were with an adult. They had been obedient to this rule and always returned home on time for dinner so I had no complaints. I was thrilled they were sparking up a friendship. Emmett was a wonderful big brother to all his siblings so I was not surprised he had taken Rosalie under his wing.

The thought had crossed my mind that two young teens spending so much time together might be asking for trouble. Rosalie was overtly sexual in her dress and sometimes used her appearance to manipulate others. Edward surprised me with how little attention he paid her — he didn't seem interested at all. Jasper was always quiet, but even he could not take his eyes off Rosalie when she demanded attention. Emmett had a fairly strong head on his shoulders, but he was still a teenage boy. I hoped he would be able to remain a gentleman during some of Rosalie's more flirtatious moments.

Bella had been very upset with some of the things Rosalie had been doing or saying around her brothers. Esme found her crying in the bathroom the other morning and they had a talk about why Rosalie did this sort of thing. Apparently, Rosalie had walked in on Edward getting changed and she had very seductively backed him into a corner and whispered something to him. And then Bella had walked in on the two of them.

I am not sure what went on, but Edward and Rosalie both insisted that it was not a big deal and that nothing happened. If Edward felt threatened, he would have told me in confidence later on, but when I brought it up to him so he could talk about it he shook his head and told me, "It really was nothing, Dad. Rosalie just wanted to tell me something."

While that might have been the truth, I wish she would have done told him something with more than just her swim suit on — if you can call what she wore to the beach swim wear at all!

I went to check on Bella later that day and it broke my heart when she burst into tears in my arms. "Why does she do it?" Bella had asked me. "After what happened to her, and she seems so afraid for it to happen again... why does she keep trying to get their attention? It doesn't make sense."

"I am not exactly sure why Rosalie does this," I had told her. It was obvious Rosalie thought of her sexuality as a tool and she used it to both gain attention and to intimidate. I didn't believe it was fair to be discussing in detail behind Rosalie's back, but my darling Bella was not just upset for her brothers, she was also concerned for Rosalie. "I think she knows that your brothers will never do anything to hurt her. And if she is the one who leads, it probably gives her a sense of security to know she is in control."

"She doesn't know what she wants!" Bella mumbled firmly into my chest as I continued to rock her.

"Deep down Rosalie wants only one thing, dear... but she doesn't know the right way to ask for it or how to give it in return. When you have not been shown the proper way to love – true, selfless love – then it is hard to accept that it is out there."

"I guess..." Bella whispered, "She thinks people only like her for her looks. She thinks everyone is superficial. Do you think that is why she acts that way too?"

I had not needed to answer that, Bella read the sadness in my eyes and understood.

* * *

"Carlisle!"

A voice startled me awake from my pleasant doze and I nearly jumped out of the hammock. I managed to steady myself to find another startled looking face looking down at me. It was Rosalie. And as soon as I was able to focus my eyes on her I could see her hands were stained rusty red and so were her legs were she had no doubt had tried to wipe them.

I got to my feet quickly and reached out for her instinctually. She backed away at the same time. "What happened? Did you fall down? Where are you hurt?"

"I'm not!" She shook her head. She was panting, like she had been running. My eyes were still focused on the blood, still confused and trying not to imagine the worst case scenarios.

"The blood?"

"It's Bella's" she told me.

"Where is she?" I looked around and didn't see Bella in sight. I knew better to let the panic take me over, but adrenaline seared through me as I began to grasp the situation.

"She tripped on some barbed wire — or something else — when we were hiking through some bushes. She cut her hand and her foot is still stuck in the wire! When I tried to untangle her it seemed to get tighter around her ankle so..."

"An animal trap of some sort, perhaps..." I thought out loud. I started to jog towards the house to grab a few tool, wire cutters in particular, and Rosalie hurried along beside me. "Are the boys with her?" I asked as I opened my work box and slipped a few tools into my short pockets with the safely latches fastened tightly.

I knew Bella. She would be stoic, but she was not very good around blood. She claimed the smell made her feel sick. She had a tendency to faint if the feeling overpowered her. I hoped the boys would know to distract her and keep her calm.

"No," Rosalie responded. "The boys went canoeing. Edward really needed to talk to Emmett about something important and so that's why I got stuck with Bella!"

I had the tools I thought I would need now. It was too bad Esme had the first aid kit with her and the younger kids. I didn't know what sort of bandages I might need — I didn't even know how badly injured Bella was. "How badly is she hurt?" I asked simply as I stood up from my crouch.

"Well, her hand was bleeding a lot, but other than that I think she is okay. I mean, the wire was tight on her foot and she said it hurt, but it was not cutting into her skin or anything — she has socks on."

I nodded and hurried inside and grabbed a few dish towels in case I needed something to wrap Bella's hand in. I would bring her home and clean her up at that time. For now I just wanted to go see her. "I need you to take me to her," I said to Rosalie.

She agreed readily and led me off our property and into the denser forest and off the beaten track.

"What were you two doing out this way, off the trail?" I asked as we made our way through some rougher terrain. They knew the rules — they had to stick to the trials if there were to be in the woods, unsupervised.

"Bella wanted to pick some blackberries to make a pie or some shit like that — I dunno! She said that there were more berries off the trail where other hikers didn't go so I followed her... I thought that was better than letting her go alone?"

It was a question. She was worried she was in trouble, maybe. "Yes. I am glad you two stayed together. That was safe thinking," I said softly as we hurried through the trees towards a visible open area coming up — a field it looked like. "I wish you two had stuck to the trails, however. This is quite the detour."

"She said she had been here before with Esme. It was her idea, not mine. I swear!"

"It is alright, Rose. I am not looking to pin blame. Let's get to Bella and make sure she is okay. That's all I am concerned about now," I told her.

Rosalie was a bit ahead of me to lead the way, and I noticed she was only wearing a pair of very short shorts and her bikini top. She was not always the most practical when it came to clothing. Esme had insisted all the kids wear long sleeved cotton shirts today since the temperature was supposed to hit an all-time high today. I thought I had seen her with it on this morning, but she had quite openly shared her dislike for the frumpy style so perhaps she had just taken it off when she knew we were not looking. Her skin was so fair, as fair as Bella's and mine for sure, and I doubted she had sunscreen on other than her face and legs.

"Where's your shirt, Rose?"

"Oh… um... I took it off..."

There was no time for scolding. I didn't stop moving as I slipped my t-shirt off my head and handed it to her. "Put this on." She hesitated and almost spoke back when I handed it to her, but did as she was told when I gave her a firm nod. She pulled it over her head and it hung on her like a short mini dress, covering all over her upper body and her shorts. She looked disgusted, but I was glad she decided to bite her tongue because I was feeling a bit overwhelmed about finding Bella and could not put up with any more of Rosalie's attitude.

Then we came to the open clearing, lined by thick, twisted blackberry bushes and Rosalie pointed to the left. "She's over there!" Rosalie exclaimed and I followed her to a barely visible human hiding amongst the tall grass near a large blackberry bush.

"Bella!" I called out. Oh, I was so happy to have her in my sight! And when I got closer to find she was sitting up and she was alert and responsive I felt a touch of relief.

"I'm sorry," she said as I reached her side. I shook my head and smiled the best I could. "I wasn't watching where I was going... I – I ..." She had already been crying, by the looks of it, but some fresh tears fell now. "Be careful... there is barbed wire in the grass t-too and I fell on it. I'm sorry."

"Shhh. It's not your fault, darling. Accidents happen." I kissed her forehead and slipped my fingers to her carotid to check her heart rate. It was a little elevated, but that was understandable. I smiled at her and then looked over her hand for a moment.

"Now, tell me what hurts," I asked of her. Her right hand was wrapped in a white material and she gripped it tightly. It was only slightly stained with blood so the bleeding must have slowed, thank goodness. I realized now it must have been Rosalie's shirt and I couldn't help but feel like a jerk for judging her unfairly moments earlier.

"My foot! The wire is so tight it is starting to really hurt," she told me with a shaky tone. Bella hardly ever complained so I was upset at how much pain she must have been in.

I took a look and sure enough, there was a thin, silver wire lassoed around her right foot, just above her ankle. "It's a rabbit snare," I said with a grimace. "It looks like a fairly old one too. They used to make them a lot less humane. It is not going to loosen very easily — the wire is too jagged. It is a good thing you are wearing socks, love."

"How are we going to get it off?" Bella exhaled and then she pressed her lips together tightly. She was starting to lose some color to her face. I pulled out the pair of wire cutters from my pocket and smiled reassuringly.

"I am going to cut the wire, darling. I will have you free in just a moment. Take a few deep breathes and try to relax," I told her. My eyes were on Bella the entire time, but I heard Rosalie puff something sarcastic.

The ankle was swelling, whether she had injured it as she tripped, or if it was just from the tightness of the wire, I was not sure. I tried to snip at the wire with the tips of the cutters, but it was not sharp enough and there was not enough pressure to cut the wire. The cutters where thicker at the base, but it would be hard to get the jagged wire all the way to the pivot point where there would be enough pressure to cut the strong wire. Bella was being very brave, but the gasps of pain she let slip did not go unnoticed by me. Or Rosalie...

"What about this?" Rosalie offered me a stick as she knelt down beside me, my t-shirt swam around her like a tent and for a short moment I realized my bare back was already hot. I ignored it and looked at the stick for moment, confused. "Like... to use as a jack to lift the wire off her skin so you can cut it without hurting her foot..."

"That..." I said with amazement, "...that might work!"

I took the small, round stick from Rosalie's hand and thanked her. It would be a tight squeeze, but it would probably work. Bella looked like she might pass out on me at any second and while that might have actually helped relieve her pain; I knew she would not want to lose consciousness. "I need you to go take Bella's hand," I ordered Rosalie gently.

Rosalie gawked at me and Bella shook her head. "I'm fine," Bella whispered through tight, pale lips.

I motioned for Rose to go to Bella. "Sit behind her — to give her someone to lean against," I explained.

"I'd rather cut the wire!" Rosalie countered. Bella moaned and shut her eyes at the delay.

"Just do as you are told, Rose!" I demanded roughly. I hadn't meant to sound so harsh, but I had no patience for her running mouth at a time like this. "She needs our support right now, so stop playing games and help your sister!"

My tone had worked and Rosalie nimbly went to kneel down behind Bella and took her hand. She would not look at me.

"You don't have to..." Bella tried to decline Rosalie's help, but I wanted them to work together. It was not asking too much, I felt!

"Please, let Rosalie help you, Bella. I will see about cutting this wire. If you need to cry out I am sure Rosalie doesn't mind if you squeeze her hand. That is okay, isn't it, Rosalie?"

Both girls cooperated, but they looked rather disgusted with the set up. Rosalie would not look me in the eye to answer me, but she never let go of Bella's hand. And Bella was her usual, quiet self. Despite the obvious discomfort she felt as I pried the stick under the wire, she only spoke when I finally was able to cut the wire loose.

"Oh... thank you," she sighed and I watched her body relax. I threw the wire aside and put the wire cutters back into my pocket.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Bella smiled weakly and shook her head. Rosalie looked very uncomfortable, still holding Bella's hand.

"Thank you for your help, Rose. That was quick thinking to use the stick to clear the wire," I told her. She was still upset with me, so she didn't respond. Her eyes met mine for a second before she looked away and stuck her nose in the air.

I cradled Bella's foot for a moment to let her catch her breath. "That feel better, baby?"

She nodded and sat up a bit straighter, "Yes. So much!"

"Good. I'm glad. Let me just take a quick look and see what we've got here," I said and I removed her shoe and sock to get a better look. She winced a few times, but nothing was broken, and it didn't appear sprained. Only bruised where the wire at dug in around her leg. It needed some ice to calm down the swell, but the injury to her ankle seemed minor. I wanted to take a closer look at her hand, but the sun was so strong; it was more important to get her and Rosalie back to the cabin, into the shade.

"So you're cool now?" Rosalie asked Bella sharply. "I can let go of your hand?"

_Dear Lord!_ It broke my heart at her instinct to push Bella away. _What had happened to the poor girl to make her behave so callously?_

Bella gazed down at her uninjured hand, still gripping Rosalie's tightly, and she let it go. "Sorry," she whispered apologetically. I wish had not of done that, but Bella was a completely different kind of stoic compared to Rosalie.

"You had an accident, that's all. It was not your fault, sweetheart."

"According to Alice she is always having accidents!" Rosalie added unnecessarily.

"I didn't see the wire," Bella replied quietly. "I really am sorry for all the trouble..."

"No more apologies, kiddo. It was no trouble at all," I told her and I got ready to move her. "We'll get you home and cleaned up as good as new!" I hoped that had sounded a lot more positive than it felt.

Bella tried to stand, but I stopped her. "You need to stay off the foot until we get home and get some ice on it," I insisted.

She hung her head, knowing what this meant. "What about the berries? I was going to make an upside down crumble cake for dessert tonight..."

"Some other time, dear," I suggested as I lifted Bella into my arms and stood up.

"I'll get them," Rosalie mumbled and she picked up the bucket along with Bella's sock and shoe.

"Thanks," Bella said appreciatively.

"Whatever. It's no big deal."

_Goodness, she __is not socially graceful at all... _I bit my tongue. My back was on fire and I was in a hurry to get the girls home.

As we began our journey, Bella leaned her hand against my shoulder and hugged her injured hand tightly to her own chest. "I'm sorry," she whispered almost too low to hear, but I heard. I kissed the top of her head.

I didn't mind caring for my wife and children — it was actually a good thing that I could help when one of them was hurt — but I did feel the pressure to make everyone feel comfortable and safe. It was not a chore, but it surely was one of my responsibilities as a husband and father. I would never tell any of them how much it scared me when they were injured, even the tiniest wound, because they didn't need to know my weakness.

Yet, somehow, I think Bella knew — she was very perceptive. I was sure that is why she always felt like she needed to apologize to me whenever she got hurt. I wish she wouldn't — I didn't mind taking care of her at all. I loved my family so much I would do anything for them.

I heard Rosalie swear as I began to walk back through the bush toward the trail again and turned around to find her crouched over, her back to me. "You alright, sweetie?"

"Um... ya. I'm fine! Let's go back!" She sounded rushed as she stood and breezed by me. I didn't think much of it, I was a strong man — I worked out — but carrying Bella was still some effort in the smoldering heat through rough terrain. I was just as eager to get home as Rosalie seemed to be.

* * *

It was just Bella, with her ankle propped up on another chair with an ice pack resting on top, and myself, seated at the kitchen table. It had been a half an hour after returning home. I had my shirt back on so I felt a bit more comfortable tending to my daughter's injuries.

It was so unprofessional to be a shirtless that is what made Rosalie ran off.I had only meant to help shield her from the sun's rays. I was sure feeling the burn when I moved and my skin rubbed against my cotton shirt.

It had taken me almost the entire half hour to clean up Bella's hand. There was no serious damage to nerves or tendons from the punctures, but the two wounds needed to be flushed out. She had told me not to numb it at first, but with puncture wounds I had to clean out the cut as thoroughly as possible. It would have caused her too much discomfort to be poking around with tweezers to pull out any debris, scrubbing away all the dirt on her palm, and then using a syringe to irrigate. Bella disliked injections as much as anyone, even more so than some, but she was always a trooper and she resigned to the numbing with little hesitation.

The one thing that did bother me was that Rosalie was nowhere to be found during this time. She had placed the berries on the kitchen counter, gave me back my shirt and Bella back her sock and shoe and then she had taken off. I would have liked to have seen a little more compassion on her part.

I suppose being around some blood could make her uncomfortable, like it did Bella — and Esme, who still refused to admit how terrible she felt whenever someone else was hurt. But I somehow knew that was not the case with Rosalie. After all, she had given Bella her own shirt to use to stop the bleeding, and from what Bella had told me, Rosalie had tied it around her hand for her — so she was not worried about the blood. She couldn't muster up a nice thing to say to comfort Bella, so I was not sure she felt any empathy at all, but giving Bella her shirt was a nice gesture, so there was a kindness there.

Maybe she was not very good in a crisis. Not everyone is.

"All right, darling. Your hand is good to go — all clean and bandaged. When the Lidocaine wears off you might feel some discomfort," I told her. I could not stitch up the cuts due to the nature of the injury. One puncture was too deep and narrow and the risk of closing in infection was greater. It would have to close up on its own and I would watch her carefully for any signs of infection over the next few days. "You let me know if you are in too much pain — I will give you something to help, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks... Dad," she said politely with a gentle smile. I reciprocated the gesture automatically. It made my heart sing to hear her call me her father. It was hard for her and, still to this day, she very rarely called me 'Dad' without blushing or whispering it to me. I knew she missed her biological father, that was understandable, but to be accepted as her parent now... Well, it meant so much to me.

"I would not thank me just yet..." I regretted to inform her. We were having such a loving moment and I was about to ruin it with critical thinking. I really hated to do it, but for safety's sake I knew it was best. "I am afraid you will need a Tetanus booster for this one, honey."

Bella's face paled and I took her hand and kissed it. "I am truly sorry," I sympathized, "but it is necessary. And you know the drill so it will be a piece of cake!"

"I guess..." she agreed as I swiftly, and subtly, filled a hypodermic needle with the vaccine under the table out of her line of view.

"It is not so bad. You've had this one once before, remember? When you tipped over one of Jasper's toy soldiers and hit your chin on the back porch stair?"

"I remember..." she replied dully. She was hopefully not remembering how I had lost my temper with Jasper for being careless with his toys that day. It had not been my most shining moment as a parent. The Swans had just joined our family and going from two to five kids was a big change. It was no excuse for how harshly I berated him for his part in the accident that day. I had since apologized to the family and to Jasper for my outburst — it had been the first time I had yelled at one of the kids. I had made a promise to myself to not let my fears get the better of me again, not when it came to dealing with my children.

I tried to comfort Bella with a smile, but she would have none of that. "It's just always me. When's the last time you had to give any of the others Tetanus shots for falling down?" she asked of me.

I thought for a moment and honestly could not give her an answer right away. I really searched for an instance — I was sure there would have been a few times, but then I kept seeing only Bella in my memories. _One of Emmett's football injuries, perhaps? But he had gone to another ER for the stitches and it would not have been me caring for him that time._ I could not think of any other instances.

"See?"

"Well, it's hard to think on the spot, Bella," I chuckled.

I pushed up her sleeve as high on her shoulder as it would go and wiped her arm with some alcohol. She looked away and I took that as my cue and quickly inserted the needle and pushed the vaccine in and was done in less than two seconds.

"But just a few weeks ago it was Rosalie who needed my help, not you..."

I placed a tiny band aid over the site, though it was not bleeding — I knew she would prefer it. She looked a bit upset so I hoped she was not feeling dizzy or faint — she seemed distracted by what I had just said.

"And Emmett's hand last week was nothing to do with you either... so-"

"Um... Dad?" She interrupted me — which was unlike Bella in the first place. She faced me when she knew I had discarded any evidence that there had been any needles present. She seems so serious and we were done with the hard part.

"What is it, Bella? You are not hurt anywhere else, are you?" I would not put it past her to hide an ailment from me — she had tried that many times before.

"No, um... I need to tell you something..."

"Of course. You know you can tell me anything, sweetie."

"You are going to think I am awful!" she said first. I shook my head. That was impossible.

"That is not possible," I told her.

"Well..." She paused and looked at her hands. "...you know that day when Rosalie fell into the lake?"

"Yes, I remember."

"Well, I said it was an accident..." Bella admitted, "But... it was my fault — I did push her!"

I tried to hide my surprise, but this really was a shock. Bella looked like she might cry when she glanced up at me. "I didn't mean for her to fall into the lake and hurt her arm, though!" she proclaimed. "That was an accident! I only meant to shove her a little!"

I didn't know quite what to say to her. I was disappointed to hear this, but she was not a violent person and even though I would not accept an excuse for hurting another human being – even the boy Emmett punched to protect Rosalie – I wanted to know why Bella would do such a thing. Rosalie had only been living with us a day at the time, it seemed unlikely that the girls had already gotten off on the wrong foot, but perhaps I had not been very observant.

"She was just..." Bella began again. "... being so mean! She was saying things about Edward that made me so angry — watching him and making all sorts of nasty comments — she had no right! And then when we were getting down off the rock and she made another rude comment about his guitar playing. I got so mad. I — I leaned into her to push her a little bit and she fell backwards into the lake."

"I see..." I said. How very silly it sounded. I could have done better. Bella looked more upset now with my lame response. She wanted me to tell her she was forgiven, which she already was, but I had not told her yet.

"I didn't mean to hurt her!"

"I know," I reassured her, taking her un-bandaged hand in both my own. "I believe you, sweetheart."

"I'm sorry for lying," she apologized sincerely. I squeezed her hand and gave her a smile which she didn't return.

"You are forgiven, dear. I am so proud of you for telling me the truth," I told her. I grew a bit more serious as I uttered the next few words. "But... I am not the one you should be telling this all to."

Bella understood right away what I meant. She nodded. "I will. I will... soon. She will hate me, though."

"No... no one could hate you, Bella. You are a good person... and so is Rosalie. You just have to tell her the truth and hope she will tell you her truth in return. People do not say or do spiteful things to one another without hurt, anger, or fear being a contributing factor. You were hurt and angry about what she said about your brother that day and you made a bad decision based on those feelings... I am sure Rosalie was afflicted with a few troubles of her own that day when she chose to mean mouth Edward to you."

"But... why?"

"I don't know. Why don't you ask her when you talk to her?"

"She won't tell me. She already knows I pushed her in the lake and lied about it. And today it was my fault she got hurt too..."

"Rosalie's hurt?" I asked, confused by Bella's omission. _I thought she said she was okay? Had I missed something? _I had been so focused on taking care of Bella I must have missed something.

Bella gulped and nodded meekly. "Didn't you see her knee? I am sure I saw blood... I didn't take too close a look… she ran out of here so fast when we got back."

"I didn't notice..." I whispered. Bella slouched and cradled her arm neatly to her chest. There was nothing more for me to do for her at the moment. She still needed to keep the cold pack on her ankle for another few minutes. "I will be right back, sweetie. You call for me if you need me, okay? I am going to find Rosalie and check on her."

"Okay..."

"Another few minutes with your foot up, and then you may try walking on it. If it hurts too much then you sit down and rest. Do you understand me?" I eyed her playfully, but I hoped she would follow my instructions.

"Yes."

I stood up and gave her shoulder a loving squeeze before I headed on my way out the door. I had to find Rosalie and make sure she was okay.

It only took me a few seconds to find her...

The sound of the running hose had alerted me to her whereabouts. She was around the side of the cabin, washing away the blood from her legs. But when she saw me, she froze and let the hose drop. When that happened, a fresh line of wet blood streamed down her left leg, coming from a gash on her knee.

To Be Continued...

* * *

_So this one really did bring out the hurt/comfort genre that it is categorized under, eh? Well...it did have Bella AND Carlisle featured so it was inevitable! ;) **What do you think about Bella's confession to her father?** I think some of you had an idea that she might not be as 'nice' as she pretends to be. Hehee. No no, Bella is nice...but she is very protective over family-Edward especially. ;) **Do you think Rosalie will understand?**_

_**Thank you for reading!** Previews available...and I will try to get them out sooner this time!  
_

_Coming up Next Week- Rosalie reveals something about her past that will upset Carlisle. And she and Bella have a little chat about the boys..._


	17. Chapter 17 No Shot in Hell

_Disclaimer: Obviously I am not Stephanie Meyer- I am Marra, and I am only borrowing her characters for this fan fiction.  
_

_Thank you to Catharticone and RandomSugarRush for all your support. :)_

_Thank you to the kind reviewers, even the ones that I could not respond to-you know who you are and I love it when you review and say 'hi!' :) I will continue to post so long as you will read!_

_*There is a new drawing posted on my deviantart gallery if any of you are interested. The links can be found on my profile.  
_

* * *

**Thorns**

**Chapter Seventeen**

_Ouch!_ "Shit!" I swore as I let the cold water from the outside hose run over my knee. It wasn't that bad of a cut, but I still resented that Bella was the reason I was bleeding... again!

I was not that impressed with Carlisle either. He was the one who made me go sit by her and hold her hand — like she could not just suck it up for one second while he freed her foot. He acted like I was the unreasonable one — like I was not helpful already by giving her my shirt to stop the bleeding. No... it was not enough. He made me wear his shirt! He gave me this look when he gave it to me too — like he didn't want to, but he just had to make some kind of point! What was his problem, anyway? I was trying to help... I gave him the idea of using the stick to help cut the wire, for fuck's sake!

_She is not my sister! I don't owe her a God damn thing! What has she done for me?_ ...Except push me into the lake and lie about it!

I had knelt down on some of the barbed wire and cut my knee when Carlisle was cutting Bella's foot loose. And they didn't give a shit about that! He only cared about Bella — making sure _she_ was okay. Those two were inside now, the perfect image of a father and daughter, as he patched up her hand and they made pleasant chit chat. It made my insides ache!

It was not like I could just go and tell Carlisle I was hurt — that would look needy. And he had not noticed it before, or maybe he just didn't care enough. I guess that would be understandable. After all, Bella's hand was worse because of how deep it had been pierced. I am fairly sure the sharp spike went half way through her palm, if not deeper. Mine was just a scrape… that would not stop bleeding for some reason!

All I wanted was a band aid, but I could not bring myself to ask him for one! I was sure he hated me now. He had raised his voice at me again — Emmett said he didn't do that often, unless he was really upset — so there was a chance he was still angry and I didn't want to push him too much further.

I was trying my best to clean the blood off my hands and legs, without making too much noise or using too much water. I was just giving my leg one last rinse when a figure came into my peripheral vision and startled me. I gasped and dropped the hose.

It was Carlisle. "Rose, are you alright?"

He waited at a distance while I turned off the water. I noticed that there was more blood faintly running down my shin. There was no way to hide it from him. I just hoped he wouldn't give me that look he sometimes gave me — like he pitied me. I was stronger than that! And I could take care of myself!

"I'm fine. I was just washing up," I told him steadily.

"I didn't realize you had hurt yourself, sweetie. I wish you would have said something..." His sad, pitiful eyes went down then to my knee.

_What was I supposed to say? _"It's not a big deal. I just need a band aid."

He smiled briefly and nodded, but he told me to come inside so he could take care of it for me. "I insist. It may need a couple stitches as well… by the looks of it," he said regretfully and he motioned to the cabin with his hand, like he expected me to follow it or something. I looked down to take another peek.

"Really?" It didn't look that bad to me. And I didn't want stitches — they looked gross and really painful. I didn't want a scar and I certainly didn't want him to be poking at me with a needle. The idea frightened me and I felt reluctant to trust him.

"I won't know until I have a better look, honey. Please," he said, "come inside."

He gave me some space to pick up my shoes and then I followed him inside. Bella was at the table, looking much better than she had before. Her cheeks were flushed pink again, but at least that was better than ghastly white. She gave me a tiny smile and she sat up, moving the ice pack from her foot to on top of the table.

"Have a seat, sweetheart."

"How's your knee?" Bella asked as I took a seat and Carlisle sat down across from me, rummaging through his bag for hand wipes to wipe his hands. Bella gazed intently at my face, not looking down at the bloody mess that was my leg.

"It's fine. I just need a band aid," I repeated more for Carlisle's benefit. There was no way he was touching me with a needle and thread — or whatever it took to stitch up a cut.

"Oh, that's good," Bella replied. Her eyes rested on my hands for a moment. I realized I was clutching the seat of the chair very tightly. I relaxed them, but they were not very steady.

Carlisle had out some gauze and soaked it with some clear antiseptic stuff. "Perhaps, you're right, dear. It is not as deep as I first anticipated," he shared as he took my leg gently in his hand and he got closer so he could check the wound. It was not sexual, he was not at all interested in me from the look of it, but his touch made my heart race with trepidation. "This might sting a bit, sweetie. Not for long, but it is important I clean it very well."

"Ya. Okay. Whatever..." I mumbled, shoving my hands under my arms to tame their tremor. He gave me a smile and he got to work.

"How did this happen?" Carlisle asked as he inspected my knee again carefully. "Did you fall?"

"No," I responded deeply. His head stayed down, but his eyes reached up to look at me. "I... uh... I knelt on something sharp. I think the same stuff Bella cut her hand on. It was hidden in the grass so it was hard to see."

"Oh, Rosalie," he whispered. "I really am sorry. I wish you had told me you had hurt yourself. I had no idea…"

"It's no big deal — it doesn't hurt." I lied slightly.

"You are very brave," he told me, tossing out a dirtied white pad. Something about how he had said that, made me shiver. _Was I brave?_ I didn't feel brave. I wanted people to think I was, but something in his voice revealed that he was not falling for my lies. He knew so much about me — they all did. It was only a matter of time before they knew everything and they would make me leave.

I wished Emmett was back from canoeing. He promised he would not leave my side, but he had lied to me. I needed him now and he was not here!

"Well, sweetheart..." Carlisle said after her tossed out the last piece of gauze he was using. "...the wound is clotting well and it is not too deep, so I am going to glue and tape it shut for you."

"No stitches?" I inquired to be sure.

"No, hon. No stitches today," he replied positively. "I am going to give you a Tetanus booster like the one I gave Bella, though — just in case."

"What?" I asked sharply, my leg moving out of his hand as I sat up more straight in my chair. He was done with the glue anyway.

"It is a safety precaution," he told me, reaching for my leg with a couple of pieces of small, thin tape ready. "It is not likely, but there may have been harmful bacteria clinging to the rusty metal you cut yourself on... or in the grass, perhaps. It is important that you are protected if this is the case."

"But you cleaned it already! It's just a tiny cut!" I shook my head and stood up as he finished taping up my knee.

"Tetanus is not a disease to take a chance on. It has very serious repercussions. You need this vaccine as a precaution, darling. Even if you have had one recently, a booster is always a good idea with this kind of injury. Better be safe than sorry, right?"

"But I..." I stammered, not sure what else I could say. He patted the seat of the chair and eyed me sympathetically.

"I promise to be quick. It is not as bad as it sounds, sweetie."

"Don't worry. He's very good," Bella offered. "You don't have to be afraid..."

I could see this was a losing battle. Bella had the shot too, and she was sitting there, right as rain, so obviously it was not going to kill me. But I could not remember the last time I had needed a vaccination for anything and for some ridiculous reason, it made me nervous. I knew that I was being a baby so I sat down and tried to relax.

"I am not afraid," I told them both under my breath.

"It will be over before you know it," Carlisle told me and he rubbed a cool dab of alcohol on my arm. "Just relax and focus on the clock on the wall... what time do you think the others will return from canoeing?"

I couldn't take it. He was trying to distract me, but it only made me more anxious as I waited for it to jab me.

"Stop!" I demanded urgently as soon as I felt the touch of his fingers on my upper arm. I reached up to cover the area and I shook my head at him. "Please!" _Oh, God… I was begging _— in front of Bella, no less. I could not face her. She was probably enjoying this too much. Rosalie Hale is not so brave after all, I guess.

"Take a deep breath, sweetie..." he told me, leaning in to rub my back. I flinched and shook my head and he retreated understandably. I was not ready for him to be that close. His eyes never left mine as he spoke smoothly to me. "I'm not going to force this on you, Rosalie, but you need this booster — the sooner the better — and when you think you are ready, I want you to close your eyes and take a couple of nice, deep breathes and I will make sure to be quick and gentle about it."

I felt my eyes warm with tears.

"I am going to take your arm," he told me calmly as his hand reached for me. "And just hold it until you are ready. I will wait for you to tell me when." And he did as he said he would... and just held my arm gently. My hand was still there, hovering protectively as I tried to reason with myself to just do it. I just needed to move my hand, but it was not that easy.

Suddenly, Bella reached across me and took my hand. She didn't say a word, but she gave me a reason to let go and I let her place my hand on the table, with her hand interlocked with mine. I squeezed me eyes shut and nodded.

"Now. Do it now," I whispered. There was a touch of pressure on my arm where Carlisle's hand was — like he was squeezing my arm — and then it was done. Carlisle's hand left mine and I wondered when the pain would come, but there was nothing that followed.

"All done."

I opened my eyes and saw how tightly I was holding Bella's hand and immediately let go. She tucked her hand into her lap neatly while I sighed and pushed the hair back off my face with mine. I felt the panic leave me and instead I was filled with humiliation and confusion.

_Why had Bella done that for me?_ _She hated me..._ _didn't she?_

"I am going to go wash up," she said softly, standing up carefully and walking lightly away from the table. Carlisle watched her intently as she took a few more solid steps out of our sight. He was smiling as he turned his attention to me. Though, his smile remained, it softened a touch.

"How are you doing, honey?"

"Okay," I managed to say, though it was hardly audible. I gulped down the heavy lump resting in my throat and naturally a sigh came out of me. It was over… and I was okay. What a relief!

Carlisle continued to tidy up the first aid supplies. "You did well, dear. Thank you for cooperating with me." He pushed the red kit aside and took a seat in front of me again. I looked around very quickly, trying to understand what he wanted. But he just wanted to talk, I guess. "It is not fun for me either."

I shook my head and looked at my hands, pressed firmly together in my lap. "It was not as bad as I thought it would be," I reported quietly. _If he says 'I told you so..._'

He chuckled and I looked up to find him in the same position, grinning at me. "Oh, I hear that a lot," he said, amused. "And yet, a lot of patients seem to forget saying this by the time the next vaccination comes around!"

I gawked at him slightly, not sure why it was so amusing. I suppose it was kind of like how accountants loved math jokes — they were just geeks in their element of expertise!

Carlisle did kind of remind me of a geek. A very handsome geek, though. It made me uncomfortable how good looking and charming he was. My first impression of Royce was the same — but he turned out to be the worst man I had ever met so I didn't want to make the same mistake twice.

"I didn't know what to expect," I explained to him. "People always say that needles hurt… I just assumed… and I have never had to have a shot for anything before…" I trailed off, not thinking. It was the truth, at least. I didn't want him to think I was a big baby for being afraid of needles. His brow crinkled. He was watching me with so much curiosity now…_ Had I said something wrong?_

"You mean… you have never needed a booster? But you have had inoculations prior to today, haven't you?"

I didn't know what he wanted from me, but his expression seemed to show some confusion. I didn't get why it was a big deal so I just shrugged at him — I had nothing to say in response.

"Surly you would have received your Hepatitis B vaccinations from school a few years ago…? And one for Measles, as well? It is usually done at school… by a nurse…?"

I stared blankly at him. I knew what he was getting at — I could vaguely remember other students being called down by last name to get their vaccinations, but I had never had a permission slip signed, so I never got called down.

I gave Carlisle another tiny shrug of submission. He looked slightly disgusted as he pushed the hair off his forehead and exhaled heavily. He appeared to have regained some of his pleasantness then, and he leaned a bit closer, resting his hands on his knees.

"If you didn't receive any vaccinations at school, did you go to a general practitioner for them?"

"No…"

His eyebrows raised in disbelief. _I was not fucking lying!_ "I don't fuckin' know!" I said, raising my voice a bit. "Who cares?"

"I do, sweetie," he murmured. "I'm sorry for asking you so many questions. I didn't mean to be intrusive." He leaned back and gave me a bit more space to breathe. I had not realized I how hard I was breathing now. I was starting to feel rather warm and uncomfortable. He ruffled his hair again and pursed his lips before he spoke again.

"May I ask you one more thing?"

I shrugged again. He would ask it anyway, no doubt. "Sure. I guess…"

"Do you remember the last time you visited a doctor? Even for just a check up, honey?"

I thought on it — I don't know why, since I had never met a doctor until I met Carlisle — and then I shook my head a little bit. He gave me a forced smile — a sad smile.

_Why did he think that a bad thing?_ I was not sick! There was no reason to see a doctor unless you are dying… At least, that is what Lily always told me. But Carlisle's face told me that was not the answer he wanted to hear.

_Maybe they didn't want me if there was something the matter with me! _"Can I go now?" I asked, preparing to rise. His mouth opened and his eyes widened to say something, but then he shut his mouth into another charming smile and nodded.

"Sure, sweetie. You just take it easy for the rest of the day. Perhaps you should drink some water… it is a hot one today," he suggested, getting up after me. "That was quite the adventure we had out there!"

He winced a little bit when he reached up to put the first aid kit on the top shelf in the kitchen. I could see how very red he was on the neck and his arms and I imagined how sore his shoulders and back must be too. It would have been me if he had not given me his shirt outside.

I felt a bit ashamed — I had first thought his agenda was to show off his body with that gesture, because he was built rather nicely for an old guy… but he never left geeky, doctor mode the entire time we were out rescuing Bella, so I might have been wrong. He lingered awkwardly as I poured myself a tall glass of cold water and took it with me into the bedroom. Then I heard his footsteps take off upstairs.

Bella joined me after a short period of time and meekly inquired if I minded her being in the room with me. I told her I _did_ mind and she thought I was seriously asking her to leave. _Uh, it is your room too, dumbass! _I could not respect the girl — she was such a pushover.

"I was being sarcastic!"

"Oh," she mumbled and she tripped on her own pant leg a bit as she walked over to her bed and sat down across from me. She stared at the floor for the longest fucking time so I picked up my book again.

I was trying to read, but I could sense her eyes darting up to check me out every once and a while and it was driving me insane that she was just sitting there. "Don't you have something else to do?" I asked her sharply.

"Oh, um… sure," she replied dumbly and leaned forward to get up.

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" I snapped and I laid my book down on the bed. "Will you grow a backbone already? You don't actually think I would kick you out of your bedroom, do you? It sucks we have to share, but I am not that big of a bitch!"

Her deer in headlights look made me want to shake her.

"So… what do you want?" I demanded. _Maybe I was a bitch…_ Oh, well!

"I wanted to talk to you," she peeped nervously. I frowned. This should be interesting… I impatiently glared at her and waved my hand in the air to signal her to spit it out.

"Um… about that day at the lake when I pushed you in…" she muttered softly. Her whole face was pink. "I did push you on purpose…"

_Duh_! I laughed at her admission. "No shit! Tell me something I don't know!"

"I didn't mean for you to get hurt," she confessed pleadingly. And I knew she meant that. Bella was a pain in my ass, but she was not a vicious person. I had known all along why she had pushed me anyway. It was no secret to me…

"Whatever… I get why you did it. I was trash talking Edward," I jumped straight to the point. No sense beating around the bush… it was more fun to be blunt with people like Bella. "You like him." There… I said it! I wasn't sure who Bella thought she was fooling with her innocent act, but it was not me! She was in love with Edward — I could tell.

"What? No… that is…" She fuddled around with her words a bit. "Well, ya... he is my brother. Of course I like him."

Bella looked to the door frantically.

"He is in the shower," I pointed out, knowing she was worried about Carlisle overhearing. The water was running upstairs and could be heard very slightly.

"You like him more than just a brother, Bella… admit it!" I smirked at her knowingly. She was a terrible liar.

"It is not like that!" she exclaimed desperately.

"Why else would you care so much about me looking at his ass or calling him a fairy for playing guitar like a woodland creature wannabe?"

I almost shuddered at the memory of him playing _Greensleeves_ for us that first night. I had totally thought he might be gay until I paid closer attention to him and watched how he hovered so protectively over Bella. It was clear those two were more than just chore buddies.

"I — I… uh…"

"Look, it is okay. I won't tell anyone," I said stiffly. "I mean… it is clear he has a thing for you too — though your family seems clueless about it."

"That isn't true. He has never said anything…" she said and then she paused and her eyes bulged. I chuckled at her.

"See, you do like him! You care enough about what he thinks of you…"

"It is complicated," she muttered, looking wistfully out the window. I decided to stop pressing her. She wasn't denying it so it wasn't fun anymore. Her eyes finally darted back to mine and she added, "Just as complicated as it is for you and Emmett…"

She knocked the wind out of me. I, Rosalie Hale, was flabbergasted.

_Touché, Bella… touché._ I don't know how she knew, but I guess she was not as clueless as I had made her out to be.

"I am just messing with Emmett, Bella," I told her firmly. "And what you are doing with Edward is just the same thing — it can never work. If you want me to keep my mouth shut… I suggest you keep yours shut as well!"

Then, we didn't talk for a long while, both in silent agreement not to bring the obvious up again. Neither of us was quite sure what there was to say or do about our situations. I certainly didn't want her to blab what she knew to her parents — that might be the final straw for me if they found out Emmett and I were spending all our free 'buddy' time making out in the woods together. I would be sent back to Clara with another 'X' to my reputation, if that were the case.

Yes, we had found something in common, though both situations were very different. We were going to have to keep quiet on each other's behalf. It would work for the simple reason that she also didn't want anyone to find out about her feelings for Edward.

A few minutes later, almost to smite us, the boys came clopping inside, noisy as ever. They didn't even knock when they came barging in on us. Edward was more attuned to the vibe in the room, asking if Bella was okay. He was all over her when she saw the shape her hand was in. Instead of letting Bella blame herself for being a clumsy fool, he told her how sorry he was for not being there to prevent her from being hurt.

_What? How did he think it was his fault?_ Those two idiots were meant for each other, I swear! They deserved each other's crazy!

I got up and stormed by Emmett, who had not even thought to ask about my bandaged knee. He had been too busy making fun of the fact that Bella had been caught by a rabbit trap.

"Hey, wait up!" he called after me as I stomped outside with my book in hand. I needed to be alone. I needed to make some decisions — about Emmett. I couldn't let him rule my feelings anymore. Survival was more important!

"Go away, Emmett!"

"What? Why?"

He sounded hurt — and that hurt me — but I didn't want to let my guard down… not yet. I had to see something first. I had to see if he really cared about me, the way Edward cared to follow Bella around everywhere and refuse to leave her alone when she would try to push him away.

Ya… I had noticed! That is how I knew he loved her. I wanted that someday too. Emmett had promised me he would protect me, but it could have been just some lie so he could use me. Men were good at that!

Emmett followed me out to the hammock were I brushed aside some medical journals of Carlisle's and I prepared to sit down. I was intent on ignoring Emmett if I had to, but he grabbed my arm.

"Ow!" I yelped. It felt like there was a bruise under my skin where Carlisle had stuck the needle. I had not noticed it until now. "You _asshole_!" He had grabbed my arm out of nowhere and it put the fear back into me. I was eleven again and he was another man that did not respect boundaries — he had hurt me. I wanted to believe Emmett would not hurt me on purpose, but I needed to know for sure.

"I didn't mean it! What did I do?" he asked, raising his hands and backing up a few feet, which was our agreement if I ever asked him to back off when I needed him to. I was not messing around when I made out with Emmett — kissing him was wonderful — but it sometimes got too overwhelming for me and I would push him away. I knew it confused him when I did this, but he had been so understanding about giving me space when I insisted upon it.

But he did not understand now… I didn't even understand what I was doing either. I just had to do it…

I rubbed the sore spot and glared at him. "Just leave me alone. I can't do this anymore!"

"Do…? Do what?"

"You… this! Just go away. I don't need you to fucking protect me Emmett! I can take care of myself, okay?" I practically screamed at him. After all, he had not protected me today and I had gotten hurt… and worse than that — humiliated.

_Where had he been then when I needed him?_ He was a liar. I knew he would turn out to be just like the others.

I had let him fool me. He had probably only been so nice to me to make me think he was a good guy. I was not going to let him trick me. I would not be fooled again — not this time!

"Rose?" he pleaded.

"Fuck off, Emmett." I told him with a hard tone and no question in my expression that I meant what I was saying.

And he did… he walked away.

_There! I knew it! He didn't love me…_

To Be Continued…

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_Oh-kay...so please don't send the lynch mob with their fiery torches! *If you are a huge Remmett fan then I have drawn a peace offering of sorts. It is posted on my deviantart gallery. Go there to simmer down and see a new Emmett and Rosalie illustration. Peace! _

_I know the ending was kinda painful, but she is Rosalie and it is not like she will go from tiger to kitten just because she has been making out with Emmett for a couple of weeks. Kissing is wonderful-but it does not preform miracles! ;) But think about it... **Do you think Rosalie really means what she says to Emmett? Does she really believe he doesn't love her? Is she just very insecure? Is it because she is scared? **Love is confusing-it makes the average person do crazy things... Imagine what it is doing to Rosalie, who has never known love before.*sniff*_

_Coming up Next- Esme comes home to find chaos: a sunburned husband, children who are not speaking, children who are arguing, dinner needing to be prepared, and appointments needing to be made. It is a good thing she's not alone..._

_**Thank you for reading! **_

_I hope you will return for chapter 18, which will be posted on July 12th. I have a family wedding to go to out of Province this week so that is the reason for the 2 week hiatus, but if I promise it for July 12th, I will post on July 12th! Perhaps, because I feel guilty for the longer wait I will give a longer preview in review response this time. :D_


	18. Chapter 18 L O V E

_Thank you to Catharticone and RandomSugarRush for their help editing this story. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight Saga Characters-they belong to Stephanie Meyer. The rest of this story is mine. :) _

_Thank you to all the lovely readers who read and review. I love to hear your feedback. I know a lot of you are Remmett fans and if so-no worries, okay? ;) I hope you will all enjoy this chapter... It is a lot of Esme and Carlisle-but their POV is needed from time to time too.  
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**Thorns**

**Chapter Eighteen**

I came home from a canoe trip with my two youngest children to find two more were fighting, two of them were not speaking, two were injured, and the first two were complaining they were hungry and wanting dinner already. My head was spinning by the time I had sorted everyone out. Yet, I was still unclear what had happened between my four eldest that left Emmett locked in his room, with Rosalie and Bella tight-lipped, and Edward just about as confused looking as I was. _Was there a full moon today?_

I tossed a couple of granola bars at the kids to tide them over until I could conjure up the will to make supper and sent them all to their rooms for 'quiet time'. It was the best plan I could come up with until I could speak with my husband. I needed a pep talk — or maybe something a little more physical — before I would be ready to be 'Mom' again.

Unfortunately, Carlisle was out of commission. I found a sun-kissed version of him in our upstairs en-suite. His hair was wet from a shower and he only had put his shorts back on. His chiseled chest and shoulders were pink and looked tender to the touch.

"Oh my!" I said, accidently letting a giggle follow. I walked over to him and touched his arm, wanting him to turn around so I could see the full spectrum of damage. "Goodness... look at you! Bella told me what happened."

"Thirty minutes in the direct sunlight did the trick..."

I probably shouldn't have laughed, but I needed to find something funny in the situation. A little bit of humor, followed by some TLC, seemed like the best approach. "Well, I suppose the lesson should be that you need to keep your shirt on... Showing off again, huh?" I teased.

"I was not... showing off!" Carlisle said, raising a finger at me and touching my nose playfully. "This was an act of kindness. Better it was me than one of the girls."

"You're a pure angel," I told him, leaning up to kiss him sweetly. I feared touching him in case I would hurt him so I laced my fingers through his damp hair and messed it a bit as I lingered on his soft lips. He did not protest.

"Mmmm," he hummed. "I don't know about that. I think I might have some competition..."

I leaned my head back and smiled at him coyly. I was not about to take no for an answer. "On the bed," I instructed. "Now!"

He grinned wildly and made for the bed without question. I felt my eyes roll at his eagerness. I went to my dresser drawer and sorted through it to find the item I was looking for.

"Ooo... something from the drawer?" he asked excitedly.

_Oh, for goodness sake!_ "It's aloe..." I told him, holding up the bottle of lotion. "For your sunburn." I bet he could be bleeding internally and still be thinking about sex!

"That's no fun!" he pouted. He was so ridiculously cute when made that face.

"Later," I whispered, crawling up next to him on the bed. I gently pushed his back down so he was lying flat and then I straddled him so I could sit on top of his rock hard abs with my knees bent and pressing into the mattress on either side of him for stability. Not that I needed the support — his hands found my hips pretty quickly on their own to hold onto me slightly.

"You are killing me, Es!" he moaned lightly, closing his eyes and leaning his head back as I squirted some of the gelled liquid into my hand. I closed the lid and tossed the bottle aside and rubbed my hands together before lowering them down to his bare chest.

"This may feel a little cold..." I told him. He peeked at me with one eye and smirked. _Oh, yes..._ I knew how to play doctor too...

I smirked back at him before putting on my 'professional' face again. It was hard to keep a straight face with his firm pecs beneath my hands. He hissed as the cool gel touched his hot skin.

"That _is _cold!"

_Men_ — they could be such wimps sometimes. It was just some lotion! "Oh, hush," I insisted softly as I smoothly ran my hands over his chest to cover all the tender spots.

He reached up to help me rub it in, but I tapped his hand away. "Uh uh ah... you just lie still and behave yourself. I am taking care of you!"

"You don't have to..." he argued lightly. "...I am capable of doing this myself. Really, I-"

"Don't tell me that cliché is true..." I interrupted him, again swatting away one of his hands that kept reaching for the aloe. Carlisle made the worst patient. He rarely was ill or injured, but from past experiences I knew he was apt to hide his pain from me or the kids to spare us from worry. However, he found it frustrating when we did the same — talk about a double standard. Carlisle eyed me curiously until I completed my sentence. "Do doctors make the worst patients?"

"Oh, I'm your patient now, am I?" he inquired, amused.

"We'll see..." I murmured, "...if you behave yourself."

"I don't think that will be possible," he whispered playfully. "Your beside manner is entirely too tempting." He shifted up on his elbows and leaned forward to kiss me. I could not help meeting him halfway — but I lightly guided him back down to the bed with the force of the kiss. He grimaced very slightly as his skin rubbed on the soft material of the blankets.

"Oooo," I sympathized. "You really did a number on yourself, didn't you?"

"It is not so bad..."

"Oh, please, Carlisle! If it were me you would be worrying yourself up the wall!" I exclaimed with a laugh. "And you would be fussing over me and insisting that I let you take care of me. So, now it is your turn!"

He opened his mouth to refute me, but nothing came out. I smiled knowingly and gave him a short nod.

"Now, roll over so I can get your back, okay?"

I moved over to allow for him to flip, which he did so gingerly, careful not to rub on the quilt too much. I straddled him once more and squirted the aloe on my hands to warm it up a bit. I had to resist the urge to massage him — I knew it would cause him too much pain — but I could tell he was enjoying what I was doing for him, regardless. His skin felt so warm that the lotion must have soothed him.

"Thank you, Esme," he sighed as I continued to spread the medicated lotion over his neck, back and shoulders. "This is just what I needed."

"It is my pleasure. You should take it easy for the rest of the day. You had a lot of drama to deal with — Bella told me everything. She was very apologetic, of course. I wasn't sure how to scold her when she was doing such a good job of beating herself up."

"Mmm, yes... she knows she shouldn't have gone off the trail," Carlisle agreed. "But her heart was in the right place — she wanted to surprise us with a pie of some sort."

"It really was not far off the path... I took her there last year. Never saw any traps or barbed wire, though…"

"Who would have known there would be an old trap set in the middle of nowhere? That thing was so old! Older than you or me… I am sure of it," he chuckled softly. "How she can walk her way into an ancient rabbit snare and get caught is beyond me. I know we don't like to believe this — but she really does have the most peculiar luck, Esme."

"It could have been any one of us," I mused.

But it was odd that, more often than not, Bella was the one getting caught in the most precarious situations. Since Rosalie had joined our family, though, we had been absorbed in a new kind of drama. That girl put herself in some pretty uncomfortable positions as well.

Carlisle exhaled deeply. "Rosalie was a trooper today… I really do need to thank her again for how well she handled the situation. Did Bella tell you why I had to give Rosalie my shirt?"

"Yes, she used hers for Bella's hand. That was good of her. I'm not surprised, Carlisle," I said, shifting my body off his and curling up next to him. He turned his head to face mine — he was mellow now, his eyes droopy, and he nodded.

"She may put up a tough front, but she is just as sensitive as any of the others — maybe more so..."

"I think so, too. And something happened to her, Carlisle. Something terrible that I don't want to imagine, but I can feel it… I can feel how scared she is every time I touch her!" I whispered gravely. I didn't mean to sound so desperate, but I was a bit desperate perhaps.

"There is certainly more going on than she tells us. The lack of medical records is not due to poor documentation like I had first thought, but simply that she has been neglected as far as medical treatment goes," Carlisle told me, his face showing all sorts of emotions, but mostly sadness. "She can't remember the last time she saw a physician, and she claims today was the first time she has ever received a vaccination. I don't understand how this could be the case. Why wasn't anyone paying attention?"

I found myself frowning, as well. "I don't know, hon. Clara said that she has been moved many times..."

"Even so..." Carlisle whispered, "She was with her mother until she was eleven. She would have memories of this time. Clara didn't say as much, but Rosalie has mentioned — a few times — about her mother's... _profession_."

I closed my eyes. It was just horrible to imagine what Rosalie's life would have been like if our suspicions and Rosalie's angry allegations of her mother were true. It seemed very likely that Rosalie would not be lying about this. I knew Rosalie was prone to lose her temper, but that didn't make anything she said during her angry fits any less legitimate — obviously, she was hurting for a reason.

"We need to make some decisions, Esme," he told me seriously. "Soon."

"I know," I replied gravely. I kissed his arm, which was folded under his head as a make-shift pillow. "And for now? Do you want me make an appointment for her to see Dr Beytell?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes," he hummed, sleepily. He was struggling to stay awake — not for lack of trying. "I am not terribly concerned about her general health. She is active and she eats fairly well… I think she is fine, physically. Still, a checkup might be a good idea. And I will ask Shelley about getting Rosalie up to date with her vaccinations. At least get a start on that — we can see to it she receives follow-up treatment when we get home if need be."

I nodded. "Mmmhmm… sounds like a plan. I will make the appointment for the next day or so. We should probably mention it to her right away so she can prepare herself. I doubt she will be thrilled about this."

"I will have a talk with her — this evening, after dinner," he relied softly. I brushed my hand through his hair and leaned in to kiss his cheek. I was grateful he offered. I would step in if he needed help, but he was better suited to convince Rosalie.

"I think she will be accepting of our help if we never stop offering it," I whispered. "I hope she can feel how much we care about her — that I'm showing her enough love..."

"You are, love," Carlisle said gently. "Everything you do for us is love, dear. Rosalie will come to see this when she is ready."

I smiled. It was such a kind thing for him to say. I hoped it would be enough… it had to be!

"I am a bit apprehensive to get too close to her and scare her even further away," I shared my fears with him. I knew he was worried about the same thing — what with how she reacted when he had tried to reach out to her. Carlisle nodded sadly.

"I suppose we just keep on showing her how much we care about her. She'll share more when she is ready — it has only been a month. Look how well she has adjusted so far!" I said on a more positive note.

"You're right," he agreed, smiling sleepily at me.

"She has been a lot more polite lately and getting on with the kids much better. Alice adores her," I giggled. "And she and Emmett have formed a little friendship… " I didn't want to bring up the little tiff that she and Emmett were having at the moment. I was pretty sure Carlisle had not been privy to it.

According to Edward, when they got home from canoeing Rosalie was upset with Emmett and told him to leave her alone — for no apparent reason. Well, obviously there was a reason. I had tried to find out the truth, but Emmett really had no idea and Rosalie refused to speak with me. I had faith they would work it out, whatever it was. Those two got along quite well in spite of their differences.

"She was amazing without you here, today," Carlisle told me with a proud grin. "I thought she would be more fearful of me, but she let me take care of her knee without much trepidation. And though she was quite upset about the Tetanus shot, she did not try to argue with me. She really was a trooper, Esme. I am telling you!"

"I believe you. Like I said… she's a good girl."

"She is," he agreed. He smiled pleasantly at me and I leaned in closer to kiss his cheek, but he turned to kiss me in return so it lasted a lot longer than I had planned.

"I need to get the food started," I regretfully told him, as our lips parted. It was getting late and I really needed to feed them all before they got too cranky. The heat and an empty stomach was not a good combo. I could hear the muffled voices of some of the children arguing below us already.

"I will help you," he offered, moving to get up.

I stopped him. "No no, you just relax and let the lotion really sink in. You should take a quick nap — you look tired, baby. I will send one of the kids to get you went dinner is ready."

"You sure?" he inquired.

I smiled lovingly at my beautiful husband. He was just so good to me. I wanted to be the one to care for him now — even if I was exhausted as well. Someone had to go be 'Mom' while 'Dad' was on a much needed break.

"Yes. I am positive," I cooed softly, getting up and pulling a blanket up over his lower half.

"I love you, Esme," he sighed. "...so very much."

_I love you too, darling_... I meant to say the words out loud, but as I made my way downstairs with a heavy heart — and head — I was not too sure if I had or not.

* * *

It took me about an hour to prepare a simple meal because I was so sluggish. Thank goodness I had pre-marinated the chicken. So I chopped up some veggies and made a broccoli and apple coleslaw to go with the poultry. Then I had the older boys light up the BBQ and made it their task to cook some veggie and chicken shish kabobs while I prepared some brown rice and put together a blackberry crumble for dessert — I didn't want Rosalie and Bella's efforts to go to waste after all. They had been through a lot to get those berries!

"Alice," I called her attention to me from the sofa where she was hanging upside down off of it. She was yelling loudly at Edward as if her hearing had been impaired by gravity or something. "Please tone down your voice, darling."

"The blood will all rush to your head and eventually the blood vessels will pop!" I heard Edward tell his little sister with a mischievous smirk.

"Not true!" she told him stubbornly, ignoring my plea for her to keep her voice down. The noise volume was getting out of control.

"Alice. Come here, please. I have a job for you," I strategized. If I had her working, she would calm down… I hoped.

She flipped to her feet and came skipping up and wrapped herself around me. "Mom, Edward says if I hang upside down for too long my head with explode! That is not true, right?"

"Edward, stop filling her head with nonsense worries," I told him softly. I looked down at Alice. "Don't believe everything your brother tells you. He wants a rise out of you, so don't give him one, okay?"

"It is true, though," Edward teased Alice some more. "The blood vessels expand and burst — until blood will come rushing out of your ears and nose..."

"No it won't!" Alice shouted back at him. I hushed her, not wanting her to wake Carlisle in such an abrupt manner.

_Oh, goo__d Lord, _give me patience! I was not in the mood for this.

"Edward, that's enough." I gave him a firm glance to let him know I meant it. He was usually fairly good at reading people. "Shouldn't you be outside helping Em with the chicken?"

He sobered his cheeky smile and nodded back at me as he headed back outside to the BBQ pit.

I exhaled and pressed my palm to my face to push back the building pressure behind my eyes. "Alice, I would like you to go wake your father up, if you wouldn't mind, please. Let him know dinner is almost ready."

"Okay!" she squealed and let go of me.

"Quietly, Alice!" I called after her in a muted voice, emulating what I wanted to hear from her and the rest of the kids tonight. "Be gentle…"

"I will, Mommy!" she squeaked merrily. My head pinched at the sound, but I managed a smile regardless.

Moments later, as I stirred the dressing into the salad I could head Alice's high voice asking her father if her head might pop. His muffled response told me that he was not quite up to dealing with those sorts of comments now, either. I know it is horrible, but it made me feel better that Carlisle was in the same boat as me — I felt less alone. It was very selfish of me.

Alice came bounding down stairs telling me that Carlisle was up and coming down soon and I sent her and Jasper outside to play. The sun was going down so it was not quite as hot out — I thought they could use some time outside to run off some of their endless energy.

I put the crisp in the oven and checked in with Edward and Emmett to see how much longer the kabobs would take. Then, with the kitchen emptied and quiet — Bella and Rosalie shut up in their room doing who knows what, but it was quiet so I left them be — I made a phone call to Dr. Beytell before her office closed for the day. And of course, in such a small town, she picked up her phone without an assistant.

She was lovely as always; happy to hear from me, but it was a lot of work to sound cheery in return. After the small bit of chit chat we got down to the reason I had called. She initially asked about Bella, but I told her that she was fine, despite of her accident today. I informed Shelley about Rosalie and what the situation was. Shelley said she would be happy to see Rosalie anytime and she had the vaccines that Carlisle had mentioned to me earlier.

"Lovely. I look forward to meeting her, Esme. Will you all be coming down? Or…"

"Oh, I am not sure. Carlisle would probably want to talk to you about her care, but we will let Rosalie decide, I think. She might prefer I bring her in to see you and leave Carlisle here to manage the rest of the troops!" I teased poorly. I forced a weak laugh.

"I hear ya — she might feel more comfortable if it is just us women," Shelley replied kindly. "Though Carlisle is quite the comfort. She might do well to have him along if she is a bit apprehensive…"

I smiled and sighed. "Yes. He is very good with the kids. Well, I am not sure who will bring her in, but I so appreciate that you can see our Rose at such short notice. One o'clock, then?"

I felt rude, like I was forcing to conversation to end, but I didn't want to risk Rosalie over-hearing before I could talk to her, and I could smell smoke and wanted to check on the boys to make sure they were paying attention to the chicken.

Shelley didn't seem to mind. In a pleasant tone she responded, "Yes, one o'clock. Maybe I will see you then. If not, it was nice to hear your voice, Esme."

"Same to you," I replied gently before we both uttered our goodbyes, and then I hung up the phone on its wall mount. I leaned my forehead against it to rest a moment, my eyes tired and the blood pounding in my ears.

"Honey?" Carlisle was suddenly behind me, startling me ever so slightly as he touched my shoulder and I spun around to face him. I smiled instinctively, but truthfully I was a bit dizzy. He always knew — he was so good at what he does. One of his hands reached up and lightly caressed my cheek, his face thoughtful.

"You're a little warm. Are you feeling alright?" he inquired, bring his hand to my brow. I nodded with as much confidence as I could and stared into his pretty face, full of concern for me.

"I'll be fine. I think I'm just hungry… I have a bit of a headache."

"Come and have a seat, darling."

I didn't argue… a rest would be nice. And as soon as I was seated he fetched me a glass of cold water and said I should drink it because he thought I might be a touch dehydrated.

"Tomorrow afternoon, at one," I told him after I had drunk the whole glass of water. I had not realized how thirsty I was. I had made sure the kids were hydrated, fed and protected from the sun, but it looks like both Carlisle and I had forgotten about our own needs. He insisted, however, that he was not in any pain and that the nap and aloe had worked wonders on him, but I knew he was tired, too.

"I will let Rosalie know before bed this evening," he replied, rubbing my thigh rhythmically.

"I think you should take Rose to the appointment. You know better than I what care she needs and Shelley was right on when she reminded me of how much of a comfort you are to us," I suggested and then waited a few seconds to continue. I smiled and tapped at the empty glass. "Thanks for the water, hon."

* * *

We had finished with dinner, which had been uncharacteristically quiet for one of our family meals. Rosalie was silent, barely touching her food. When Alice asked her what was wrong she sneered and said, "Nothing. Mind your own business!"

Emmett had been very quiet over our dinner hour as well — not that it stopped him from eating plenty and going back for seconds. He avoided eye contact with Rosalie throughout the meal, which the longest time he had taken his eyes of her since she had joined our family. So, I was very curious what those two were at odds about now. _What had changed in the last few weeks?_

And Bella and Edward were always silent at the table, unless spoken to, but there was something new there between them now — _a secret they were keeping perhaps?_ I could not put my finger on it, but today had been one heck of a day!

I was a bit worried for Carlisle now, who had asked to have a chat with Rosalie inside while the other kids were eating dessert outside on the picnic table and playing a game of 'Crazy Eight Countdown' for bragging rights. It didn't seem like the best time for Carlisle to be approaching Rosalie, all of us hot in the muggy night heat and a bit irritable, and Rosalie was in a foul mood over something even deeper than that, but it needed to be done.

I went upstairs to wash and change to give them some privacy, but I could make out their voices below the loft and I could not help but eavesdrop on them a bit.

"Why?" she questioned. I imagined her arms would be folded protectively across her chest — shielding her vital organs instinctively.

"Esme and I think it would be beneficial. We want to make sure you are receiving the proper, recommended health care that you deserve, Rosalie… we want the best for you. I don't want to insult any one of your previous caregivers, but you should have been getting those vaccinations and seeing a doctor for regular checkups every year. It is important. And it is one of your basic, human rights!"

"Well… I am not sick or anything!" she argued. She was not as adamant as I thought she might be, so that was a good sign.

Carlisle was as calm and almost too smooth in his speech — I could barely hear him. "I don't doubt you are right about that, sweetheart. This is just a routine visit. Dr. Beytell is a lovely woman — and a great physician. She has agreed to start a more detailed health file for you so you will be able to keep a record on yourself. That way if you ever do get sick, there will be a history of your health to touch on if need be.

"And those vaccinations… there is a slim chance of getting the measles or Hep B, or Tetanus, or anything else of this nature, but why take a chance, darling? I would hate for you to get sick because of my negligence. I would be devastated if you became ill because I had not done something to prevent it. Esme feels the same way."

There was a long silence and I waited for resistance on her part… or something, at least.

But it was Carlisle's voice I heard again. "Esme and I are looking after you now, and that means we will take care of you, Rosalie. It is our job — no… it is our _pleasure_ — as your parents to do so. Please agree to see Dr. Beytell tomorrow. I promise — you will not regret your decision. It is for the best."

_Well said, honey! _I knew he would be the one to make Rosalie see reason. I meant all the same devotions of love, but I was never as good as Carlisle at saying them out loud. I preferred to show my love. But Carlisle was so eloquent. I was hopeful Rosalie would see this too and feel the warmth in his voice, as I heard it.

I waited to hear more, but after a few short mumblings that I could not make out, the voices stopped. Then, I did make out Carlisle telling the kids to clean their dishes and pack everything inside for the night.

"Your mother is not feeling well, so please… find some quiet activities you can do in your rooms for a while if you are not ready for bed — nothing too noisy."

"Is Mommy sick?" Alice asked, her shrill voice louder in pitch than anyone else's. I smiled, though.

"She's fine, sweet-pea. She needs quiet and a good night's rest, that's all. We could all use a quiet night to relax. Today was rather taxing on all of us, I think. So please… everyone be respectful and keep your voices down, okay?"

He was so sweet. I heard a few voices of agreement and then, "I love you," being repeated over and over again. It made my heart swell and it overpowered the pain still lingering slightly in my head. I had the loveliest life — regardless of the stress it sometimes involved. My family was so beautiful!

A moment or two later, I felt a hand on my forehead and my eyes fluttered open — I had not realized I had been drifting off to sleep. I didn't mind being woken. It was my husband.

"Sorry," he whispered an apology to me. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't…" I mumbled. "I was just dozing… thinking…" I grinned sleepily at him, happy to have him so near. He returned the gesture.

"How are you feeling?" he asked in his silky voice as his eyes studied me intently. He worried too much — it was good not to be the only one who did, though.

"Good... I'm good." I fudged the truth a bit.

"Still have that headache? I could give you something for it if you are in pain..."

"No, I'm fine, thank you… but I could do with your arms wrapped around me. I think that might make me feel even better," I hinted slyly.

"Oh, well _that_ is something I certainly _can_ do," he cooed, snuggling up next to me. I cuddled into him tightly and rested my head so it was in his chest, but not touching any of his tender, skin.

"Rosalie agreed?" I asked rhetorically. I felt his body move as a soft puff of relief escaped his lips into my hair.

"She did… she even agreed to let me take her. I have asked Bella to come along, in case Rosalie may feel panicked to be alone with me — you never know. And Bella knows Shelley from previous visits, so it might make Rosalie feel better to have a friend near. I want a second opinion on Bella's hand anyway…"

"That sounds good, dear…" My voice seemed so far away now. "I love you," I murmured happily, feeling so at ease in his caring arms. I wanted to stay awake to look at him, to talk with him, but I was starting to drift again.

"I love you too, darling," was the last thing I heard him say.

To Be Continued…

* * *

**How sweet are they? Do you think they are good parents? Good spouses? What stood out to you about Esme in this Chapter? **This was more of a fluffy chapter, I guess you could call it, but it is leading up to some revelations and I do like to have Esme and Carlisle get their POV in there from time to time. I hope you find them enjoyable to read about just as you like the drama surrounding Rosalie. And believe me-if you like drama, the next few chapters are going to put her through a lot.

**Thank you for reading. **

*Chapter 19 preview is available for those who would like one. If you don't please say so in your review, because otherwise I will send you one in response. :)

Coming up Next- A trip to see Dr Beytell Leaves Carlisle in tears.

*The next update will be Monday, July 19th.


	19. Chapter 19 Make Up & Make Out

_Thank you to Catharticone and RandomSugarRush for their continuous help with this story. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight Saga Characters-they belong to Stephanie Meyer. _

_*Note- As you can see...this is an early update. I was so impressed by the amount of support chapter 18 received that I thought I would post two chapters this week. Thank you to everyone who took the time to read and review! For anyone who reviewed last week you will know that this was a somewhat of 'bonus' chapter in the sense that I wrote this in because I didn't think you should have to wait for it. :) I hope you will all be pleased. Thank you for reading!_

* * *

**Thorns**

**Chapter Nineteen**

"Rose?" Emmett whispered from behind the closed door. "Come on, Rose!"

It was hard to ignore him with Bella and Alice watching me from their beds. I was doing a fairly good job of keeping it together as I read the same paragraph of the book I was reading for the fourth time. I had no idea what it read — it was only words to me at this point.

"Rose!" he tried again — this time his voice was scratchy from trying to keep his voice down.

Apparently, Esme had a headache so we had all been banished to our bedroom for the evening. I mean, it sucked she wasn't feeling well, but geez... we didn't have much to do as it was — and being crammed in the bedroom with Alice and Bella was no picnic.

"Just say you forgive him, Rosalie," Alice piped up.

"Mind your own business!" I told her.

Bella sighed and looked up from whatever it was she was writing about in her journal. "You too," I warned in advance. It didn't seem to help. She put her pen down and sat up.

"He doesn't know what he has done wrong, Rosalie..." she whispered. "But Edward says he has been thinking about you and he was trying to figure out what he did to make you upset with him. He wants to apologize to you."

"If he doesn't know what he did, then how can he apologize?" I sniped back.

"I am just sorry in general..." Emmett whimpered through the door. He sounded like his face was smushed into the crack where the door met the door frame.

"Aw..." Alice sang. She was smiling at the door like she was watching some sappy movie or something. "Let him in, Rose. He is being so cute!"

"No. Not cute," I told her.

It really was kind of sweet that he was trying so hard to get my attention. But I controlled my face.

"I'm sorry for making you mad at me..."

"Go to bed, Emmett." I couldn't look at Bella or Alice when I spoke. They didn't understand.

"I'm sorry you got hurt today too..."

Well, that one was a lot closer to target. I had been hoping he would notice that I had been injured while he was away. I thought he was too selfish to care about my day of blackberry bush Hell!

"Please, Rose... let me make it up to you," he pleaded again. "Can I come in for just a second?" His voice was actually very low now, like he didn't want his parents to hear.

I slammed my book onto the nightstand and got up hastily and went to the door. "If it will make you shut up then _fine!_" I didn't want to admit that he was wearing me down. I unlatched the lock and then waited for him to come in. He didn't waste a second.

"Thanks," he whispered airily, tip toeing into the room like it was still on the down low — I am sure everyone had head him.

"Well?"

"Well, what?" he asked, confusion on his dimpled face.

"That's it then? You come in and now you have nothing to say to me?"

"I just want you to be happy again, Rose. Whatever I did or didn't do... I am sorry I did it, but it was probably just me being dumb again. I do that!" he confessed. He reached out to take my hand, I moved away stubbornly — and Alice was in the room. "I miss the boat a lot and I say stupid things, but I never mean to hurt people. Just tell me how I can make you forgive me. I will do anything for you, babe."

I coughed at the term, babe. Alice was too sharp. She was giggling to herself like she was really enjoying the show. I hated to think what would happen if she blabbed her big mouth to her parents about this.

"Why don't you guys go for a walk... to the dock?" Alice said coyly, like she was years older and she knew something we didn't. "I won't tell mom and dad. I promise. And you won't get caught — they're already asleep."

"I don't think-"

"Oh, shut it, Bella!" I snapped. "Don't be a buzz kill. If I wanted your opinion I would ask for it!"

Emmett smiled at her. I was happy he didn't look sympathetic — I would have slugged him one if he had been apologizing for me. She rolled her eyes and threw her hands up.

"Whatever. I am not a part of this. Don't do anything stupid, okay, Em?" she said from her corner bunk. "Remember... Mom and Dad trust you."

_Oh for the love of... Bella was such a thorn in my side!_

Emmett didn't seem bothered by his sister's patronizing words. "How 'bout it, Rose? It is not really sneaking out since it is before bedtime and we will be together so we aren't actually breaking any rules..."

"Ya. Fine. Whatever!" I huffed, "Anything to get away from this room for a while!"

"Have fun!" Alice sang.

Emmett bounded to the window and opened it a little wider. He hopped out and extended a hand to me.

"Just watch your hands!" I told him as he scooped me out and placed me on the grass.

I heard Bella utter, "Ya... have fun, Em," in a sarcastic tone.

The coward couldn't even say it to my face. But then again, she knew I was aware of Edward's love for her — and she wanted me to be quiet about that. I could trust Bella to keep this secret. And Alice was a crazy little freak, but she was fairly decent as far as little kids went. She looked up to me so I could use that to my advantage. I would just charm her into being quiet if she began to suspect Emmett and me were more than friends.

"Rosalie... thank you for coming out here with me," Emmett told me as we reached the dock. "I really wanted to talk to you..." The walk to the shore had been awkward and quiet. He let me walk ahead of him a bit so he could spot me in case I tripped or something. His hand hovered around my back — I could feel the heat — but he never touched me.

When we reached the end of the dock, he let me sit first and then he plopped down next to me. He was quiet — odd for him — but the silence was nice. It was just like the day when he had rescued me from those assholes out on the trail. I found myself smiling at this recollection; it was a good memory in spite of what could have happened if he had not followed me that day.

"It is good to see your smile again," he told me. My face fell.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"I wanted to tell you I was sorry for hurting you," he told me, his eyes narrow and pleading. "...I guess I let you down. I was too rough or I said something stupid or I didn't do something I should have known I was supposed to do!" He put his hand on my knee.

"Emmett..."

"No, let me finish. I have been working up the courage to say this, so please... just let me say it."

I closed my mouth and waited for him to go on. It was sweet of him to have been thinking of me. And he did seem very sincere and rather nervous about what he had to tell me. I didn't want him to fear me.

"I need you to guide me, Rose," he told me. "I need you to tell me what you want from me! 'Cause I don't know what you want unless you tell me. And believe me... I want to please you. I really do. I like you a lot."

"I..." I didn't know what to say.

"I know you like me too."

His assumption normally would have ticked me off. However, he was right, and it made the lump in my throat rise up and choke me a bit tighter.

_I do like you Em..._

"Look!" He wiggled a bit closer and he grabbed my hand and cupped it with his own, big mitts. "I really am sorry if I hurt you. I will make it up to you. I can learn, Rose. I don't do the same wrong thing twice!"

My eyebrow rose without thought and I gave him an incredulous stare.

"Okay, okay... I will make a bunch of mistakes twice. I can't help it. That is what I do!" He ranted frantically. I smiled at how cute and defensive he was getting. "But I never mean anything by it!"

"I know, Em," I said softly. It sort of just slipped out. It may have been a mistake. He looked hopeful now. _Or maybe... this was a good thing?_

"What did I do wrong this time? Was it my big mouth? Was it the time we were kissing and you said I was sticky? 'Cause it was pretty hot out and I-"

"No!" I stopped him. He shut up. "Though, that was kinda gross how much you sweat when you get excited..."

"It was hot out!"

"Okay, sure!" I laughed at him. _Oh, it felt good to laugh._ The day had been so stressful and I was not looking forward to my appointment with that doctor tomorrow. I needed this — I needed Emmett.

"So..." he pressed, still insistent I tell him why I was upset with him. To be honest, which I couldn't be with him — not entirely at least — I wasn't really sure what he had done wrong.

"Well..." I stopped to make sense of it. This was going to sound so pathetic and weak and he would probably laugh. I bit my bottom lip and then sighed, releasing it again — it was a Bella move, and that was just too pathetic for me! "You said... you said that you wouldn't leave me."

_Oh, God! _

"You mean... today?" Emmett asked. I could see his mind working though his dark brown eyes. Something clicked and he jumped a bit. "Oh! Oh, I am so stupid! Of course, I just completely forgot to protect you. What if something really terrible had happened to you? What if you had been attacked by a bear or something?"

"A bear?" I laughed. He didn't think it was funny — which almost made it even funnier.

"Or whatever! I didn't think. I am so sorry, Rose. I promised you and then I just left you with Bella — which was probably where I went wrong," he went off on a tangent. "If I had left you with Edward or one of the others you would have been safe. Bella is like a magnet for booby-traps!"

"It's no big deal, Em..."

"No. It is. I promised you."

"It was a stupid promise to make!" I told him. I wasn't even angry anymore.

"I meant it, though. I wanted to keep you safe. I just forgot. I won't ever leave you again!"

_Now, that was pathetic! _

"No, Em!" I told him firmly. "It is a stupid promise to make because you can't keep it. You can't always be with me!"

"I wouldn't mind..." He whispered it to me like it was some secret. My cheeks felt hot all of a sudden. I smiled and instinctively, without hesitation, my hand touched his.

"I like being around you, Em." It was the truth. If felt so good to tell him. I also had to be realistic. "But you can't protect me from everything. And I don't want you to view me like some chore."

"You are not a chore!"

"You know what I mean..." I hoped he knew what I was getting at. He was not dumb, but it seemed to take him longer than most to process information. "...I was upset when you came back from canoeing as if everything was okay. I had just been through Hell!"

"I'm sorry," he told me, lifting my hand up a bit higher.

"I guess..." I admitted, my eyes teary with exhaustion, "...I was upset you didn't seem to remember our promise. I didn't expect you to keep it, but you didn't even ask me what happened when you went away. I had a really bad day today without you!"

"Please let me try again?"

"Huh?" I sniffled. I was getting too emotional somehow and it needed to stop. I couldn't even hear him properly. _What did he want to do?_

"How was your day?" he asked me.

He looked serious. I didn't follow. I thought I had just told him I had a bad day...

"What happened to your knee? Did Bella push you again?" he inquired with a thoughtful expression. However, it slowly morphed to a less serious one and he looked like he wanted to play. His lips curled upward into a smile and his dimples practically winked at me.

_Oh... I get it!_ This was a redo!

"Does it hurt?"

"Um..." I thought out loud.

I suppose I could play this skit out. I mean, he was willing to start over. I couldn't resist the playfulness of his tone. I wanted to see how he would do during round two! "It does sting a little," I told him.

He tsked and shook his head. Then his hand slowly slipped under the crook of my knee and he lifted my leg to bend upward. He looked at me slyly, but also to see if it was okay for him to continue.

I waited patiently. A smile made its way to my mouth, though.

His head dipped down until his lips pressed over the bandage. Then he aimed a bit higher and above my kneecap he gave one more soft, warm kiss. "Better?" he breathed heavily.

I tried to answer, I really did. A nod was all that I could manage. Two could play this game...

I glanced off to my side sadly, fingering a light pattern into my arm above my elbow.

"What is it?" He sounded worried, like he had upset me. Good! It was more fun that he believed it.

"Well..." I told him sadly. "It's just..."

"What? Tell me!"

"My arm is sort of sore... from the shot your dad had to give me."

"Oh," he cooed. He touched over my arm sympathetically. He didn't know I was better at this than he was. He actually thought I was in pain. And my arm was really not so bad.

"...I think it needs a kiss too," I hinted after a long pause.

He caught my drift almost immediately — like I said, he was a bit slow on the uptake, but he was not dumb. His face broke out into the most impressive grin.

"Well, allow me!"

He was not so smooth this time. He kissed my arm about ten times, harder and harder, forgetting that 'my arm was sore'. I think his patience had left him.

But that was alright — I was ready for more too! When he came up for air I curled into his lap to face him and I ran my fingers into his hair. I hoped he would make the next move. I was ready for it and I wanted him to make it.

"Does your mouth hurt too?" he asked eagerly with a dimply smile. "Please say yes!"

And before I could answer, my lips found his.

* * *

It was way later when we got back. The lights were all out and to Bella's credit, she had left the window open and unlocked for me — I probably would not have done the same for her. But Emmett's brothers were not as considerate. Emmett had to wake them up to open their bedroom window. I don't know why he didn't just come back in through ours, but I guess he was embarrassed to face his sisters. He said Alice was too young to get any ideas, whatever that means. We were just 'talking' down by the dock. I have no idea why — he got all cute and pink when I teased him about it and then we said goodnight.

I was doing a fairly good job about sneaking in without making a huge racket. The other girls appeared fast asleep and I gracefully moved around the room, getting changed into pajamas and then heading to the bathroom to wash and brush my teeth.

When I returned, I collided with something pointy and short in the hall — Alice!

"Oof!" she exhaled with the force. "Hey... what were you guys doing out there for so long? I saw you hugging him. Are you two friends again? I-"

I slapped — not too hard — my hand over her mouth and grabbed her by the arm and hauled her into the bathroom and shut the door. When I released her she was quiet, thank goodness. "Jesus, Alice! You are a noisy little thing! Mind your own business and keep your voice down, would ya?" I barked at her in a hushed voice.

"Sor-ry," she whispered back. "I couldn't sleep."

"Well, you have to shut your eyes and your mouth to accomplish that! Now, are you going to keep quiet about me and Em sneaking out tonight or am I going to have to beat it out of you?"

Alice giggled. How infuriating — the little shit had no fear of me whatsoever! That was just sad... I thought I was at least a bit scary, being that I was the older, more mature one.

"Just keep it to yourself and we're cool. You got it?"

"Ya," she agreed with a smile. "But you have to be nicer to me... And play 'Fashion Show' with me sometimes and let me dress you however I like!"

"Ha! Fat chance, Alice. Go away," I told her showing her the door. I would not be blackmailed by a nine year old!

But she didn't budge. She had her arms folded neatly against her chest and one leg braced her body while the other was a foot in front to give of a more solid, dramatic stance. She smirked up at me. "I won't tell, but that will take a lot of effort because I know a lot! So you have to make it worth my while so I will try not to accidentally blurt it out around Mom or Dad."

"Fine, Alice," I huffed. _What a brat!_ "I will try to be nicer to you and maybe, sometimes, you can help choose my clothing... but you can't be a pest about it and you can't ever bring up Emmett and me!"

"Deal!" She extended her hand to me. I rolled my eyes at her business-like approach. She really thought it meant something. I took her hand and quickly shook it a few times.

I could not believe I was stooping to this level — I was not the same Rosalie Hale that used to take care of herself. I was needy and dependent now.

_What was going on with me?_

I started to get very scared as I crawled back into bed that night. I could hardly breathe I was so wound up.

It had been such a nice make up/make out session with Emmett that I had not stopped to consider what would happen when the summer ended... I would have to leave this place — leave Emmett and it would hurt even more to lose him then!

I was getting too close to these people. I was being careless and stupid. They were too good for me. Nothing had changed — they still didn't know the truth about me. And until they did, I could not be sure if they were really as nice as they claimed to be. I was sure they would not tolerate a slut like me living with them if they found out...

I knew what I had to do...

I knew I had to tell them the truth so they could decide. Then, if they sent me back to Clara, at least it would be now, before I got too attached to them — too attached to Emmett. It was already too late in some ways. I couldn't spend a whole summer with them and then leave. I might not survive that kind of break up.

No! I would have to tell them the reason I ran away from home in the first place. _Maybe there was still a chance they would understand and forgive me? _Maybe...

To Be Continued...

* * *

_** What did you think? How did you like their kissing game?** ;) I felt like this needed to happen before what is to come next. I hope you will all agree with me and you are pleased with what just went down in this chapter. I know Rosalie is still confused, but she has a lot to think about. :S **Was it a good thing the got back together now? Do you think Rosalie's fears are realistic? **_

_Just as promised, the next chapter will be from Carlisle's POV as he will be taking Rosalie to her doctor's appointment. *Previews for that chapter are available. I will send it along with a review response as usual. I hope you are all still enjoying the story. _

_**Thank you for reading! :)**_


	20. Chapter 20 Every Rose Has Its Thorns

_Again, big time thank you to Catharticone and RandomSugarRush for their contributions to the story. :)_

_Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed. I appreciate it... Always!  
_

_Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer. I am only borrowing her characters for this fan fiction. Please don't sue me._

_***Note-** So apparently chapter 19 was not working for some people. I am not sure what happened. It must have been a site glitch. Let me know if there are still issues viewing certain chapters. I will do my best to sort things out. :) I think all the chapters are up and working now!  
_

* * *

**Thorns**

**Chapter Twenty  
**

I saw my reflection in the mirror as I splashed some water on my face. I felt discouraged to continue getting ready for the day when I saw myself.

"I look foolish," I complained lowly.

At least my sunburnt chest, back and arms could be hidden under a t-shirt. I just wished that there was some way to conceal the color on my face. The entire bridge of my nose to the tip was red and my cheeks as well. The aloe had helped to sooth the burn and I was going to be extra careful to stay out of the sun — and wear a hat — but there was no way out of looking like some tacky tourist who had not packed the sunscreen.

"Ou cou neber ook ike af oo, bebe," my wife mumbled.

My face crumpled in confusion and she took the tooth brush out of her mouth and spit delicately into the sink. Her arm wrapped around my waist as she curled up next to me and turned on the tap to rinse her mouth out. I waited patiently, enjoying the laughter that shook her slightly.

"I said... you could never look like a fool, babe," she repeated as she beamed proudly at me.

"Thanks, love. But it does make me appear a bit careless," I said as I turned my face to the side, but kept eye contact with myself in the mirror. "I should have been wearing sunscreen, even if I was only in the shade. What kind of example am I setting for the kids?"

Esme giggled. I turned to her for an explanation. "Don't be silly, Carlisle. You are the finest example for anyone to witness. You gave Rosalie the shirt off your back to protect her, for goodness sake! And you cut Bella loose from an animal trap, carried her back to the cabin in one hundred degree heat, patched up both girls, made sure I was taken care of, put all our kids to bed — with hugs and kisses — and now... well, now you are going to take Rosalie and Bella to their appointment because you are the best father our kids could ever have!"

I smiled. I had no words for her, but she was so passionate about what she had said I reached for her and embraced her firmly. Her hair smelled of lilacs. "Thank you, Esme. You're right. I am being silly."

Esme pressed her damp hand on my back, sending a delightful shiver through me, and laid her face on my bicep as she found my face in the mirror."If you are worried about what Shelley will think... don't be," she said with a teasing smirk. "She's seen it all, Carlisle... you don't have to be shy about getting a sunburn. It happens to a lot of people."

"Well, of course she has... that is not what I-" I stuttered, trying to hide that I was embarrassed to see an old colleague in the state I was in. But Esme had me there...

I pulled out a bottle of hair gel from the cabinet and lathered some in my hands. "You're right, dear," I sighed, forcing a smile. "I shouldn't be so vain." Then I combed my gelled hands and fingers through my hair so it waved neatly — but not too neatly — off my face.

"Hmmm," she hummed pleasantly, still wonderfully close to me. She reached up and began running her fingers through my hair thoughtfully, a coy smile on her lips as she twisted my hair around on my head until she was satisfied with what she had done.

I kissed her gratefully and after a short moment that we allowed ourselves to be intimate; we both realized we needed to finish getting ready for the day.

* * *

"Argh!" I heard a loud rage come from the girl's room as I was fixing myself a bowl of cereal in the kitchen. Bella came out a few moments later and silently sat down at the table.

"I don't want to pry, but... is everything alright in there?"

"Oh. Ya. Rosalie's just getting dressed," Bella told me, picking at some grapes that were on a platter in the center of the table. "She's having trouble choosing an outfit. I thought I would give her some space."

I nodded, pretending I understood why girls said they had nothing to wear when they had all sorts of items to choose from. I didn't press for any more of an explanation. Bella popped a grape in her mouth with her uninjured hand; the other was tucked closely to her chest.

"How is your hand feeling, sweetie?"

She pursed her lips and shrugged before she finally lifted her gaze to mine. She finished chewing and replied, "Okay, I guess."

"You guess? You mean you don't know?"

"Well... it is kinda sore, but not too bad. You said it would hurt for a few days, though."

"I did say that," I agreed, wishing it had not been true. "Still, I hate to see you in pain, Bella. If it is unbearable you need to let me know." I stopped by her side and bent down to kiss the top of her head.

"I will..." she agreed timidly, "but it really is not too bad."

"I'm-"

SLAM!

Both Bella and I jumped at the loud sound.

"Leave. Me. Alone!" Rosalie's voice ricocheted off the walls of the cabin.

"Fine!" Alice came storming out of the bedroom and crashed down dramatically in one of the chairs with her arms folded tightly around her chest and her shoulders hunched.

"Is... everything alright, sweet-pea?" I asked Alice, placing my bowl down on the table and shifted over to her. She got up and slammed into me, latching on to my waist with all her might.

"Rosalie's mean," she mumbled deeply into my side, her face shoved into my tucked in, polo shirt.

"Oh?"

"All I was doing was trying to help her pick what to wear and she called me a know-it-all freak!"

"That was kind of you to try to help her, pumpkin," I said, rubbing her back with my palm. "Rosalie is having a rough morning it sounds like."

"She is always having 'rough mornings'," Alice stated, pulling back to look up at me with her large, brown eyes — overcast with a thin, glossy film of tears. However, she was starting to come around and forgive Rosalie; I could tell by her relaxed stance. Alice was usually quick to move on and start fresh. I loved her for it!

"It seems that way, doesn't it?"

Alice gave one, solid nod and released me fully and held up her arms expectantly.

I smiled and bent down for my hug, picking her up in the process. "I am sure she did not mean what she said to you. If she was in a better mood, she would have loved for you to help and not lashed out at you the way she did."

Then I kissed Alice twice for good measure — she seemed to need extra this morning — and then set her down again.

We finished eating breakfast. Alice nibbled at some dry cereal — a habit she had picked up from Rosalie. Alice would guzzle down a full glass of milk on the side so it didn't bother me. It all ended up in her stomach so who was I to tell her how to eat her cereal?

I studied my wristwatch and looked toward the girl's bedroom. Still no sign of Rosalie. I decided to check in, but I approached with caution.

"Rosalie?" I called after my knuckles rapped on the bedroom door frame.

"What?" She sounded annoyed, but I was not surprised by this and I didn't let her tone deter me.

"May I come in?" I asked, before poking my head inside — I kept my back to her just in case. When a few seconds went by — enough time for her to have answered — I added, "Are you decent? I just wanted to check in with you for a moment."

"Ya. Come in. Whatever..."

It was not the most welcoming invite, but I took it and turned into the room. She was sitting in the center of the room with a half dozen shirts and shorts surrounding her. She seemed a bit flushed; her hair was tied back and strands were hanging messily around her face.

"Hey, sweetie," I said gently, wanting to ease my way inside. "How are you doing this morning?"

"I have nothing to wear!" she exclaimed hastily, throwing down a blue camisole into a pile.

Ah, the famous line of a girl who had too many clothing options! I attempted to look sympathetic — but it probably resembled bewilderment. I rarely thought about my own clothing options.

However, in Rosalie's case, I could see how she may be having trouble deciding between her many items. She had a lot of short shorts, skirts, and tank tops, but they were all so similar in their tiny sizes that she didn't have many options if she wanted to cover up a bit more. And it was too hot for jeans and a sweatshirt today.

"Anything will be fine. It is going to be another hot day so keep that in mind," I offered her a hint. "Something loose fitting and cotton if you have it. Or Bella could loan you a shirt..."

"But..." Rosalie muttered and she stilled for a moment. I waited quietly for her to continue. She would not look at me and I began to understand the reason she was having trouble getting ready... she was nervous about her appointment — maybe she was staling even.

"I am sure you will look lovely in whatever you decide, darling," I spoke up when she didn't. She stared at the hardwood floor and I studied the expression in her face tighten as the time ticked by. "Is something the matter, Rosalie? You can tell me if you are feeling a bit nervous. It is nothing to be ashamed of-"

"I am not scared!" she told me assertively, her face hard as she faced me finally. I smiled at her, but clearly she knew that I was not buying it.

I didn't pressure her to tell me — I just waited. Sometimes with kids I found that less reaction worked wonders to get them to open up. Patience is a virtue, after all. If any of them didn't like to be coerced into something... it was Rosalie.

"I mean-" she tried again, looking down at her hands that gripped a t-shirt tightly.

Again, I just kept quiet. She would work up the courage to tell me what was bothering her. She had decided that already when she allowed me to come in and when she told me she had nothing to wear. She wanted my attention now, or she would have asked me to leave so she could finish getting ready... she wanted my help and didn't know how to ask for it.

"It's just... will I have to...?" Rosalie hesitated and hugged the garment in her hand close to her chest before she finished speaking. "...get undressed?" She lifted her gaze to mine cautiously. I sighed; relieved that it was something I could easily reassure her about.

I shook my head mildly and walked a few steps closer so I could crouch next to her. She seemed a tad wary of my proximity, but she didn't back away from me so I reached out and picked up a few items. "I am sure Dr Beytell won't mind if you stay in your street clothes, hon. It is only a check up — nothing too invasive." I handed her a pair of jean shorts I had seen her wear a few times that were not as scandalous as some of her other pairs.

"She will tell you what she is doing before she does it... and she is aware that this is new for you so you can tell her if you are uncomfortable and she will take things slow. Don't be afraid to ask her questions if you have any," I suggested. She took the jeans and looked at them instead of watching me.

I passed her a blue camisole. "Here. This will be just right for today."

"Uh... okay?" She sounded unsure still, but she didn't argue and she took the shirt from me graciously.

"Do you want to ask me anything else before I leave you to get dressed?"

There was some silence, which was to be expected. Then she said, "It is not going to hurt, right?"

"No," I replied swiftly, but softly. "There is a fairly good chance you will be receiving a couple of vaccinations from Dr Beytell, but..."

Oh, the poor dear. I wish I had not brought that up again. Her face was strained, in spite of my attempt to reassure her.

"... It won't be any different than the Tetanus shot you had yesterday — and you said it was not as bad as you thought it would be... Remember? Don't tell me you have forgotten already?" I chuckled. I hoped she might be able to take some joking, but she stared at me blankly.

Then she said, "But that's it then?"

I grew more serious then, too. It suddenly dawned on me that she wanted to know what would take place during the exam. I should have realized she would be apprehensive, having not been in so long. So many years, in fact, that she could not honestly tell me the last time she had been cared for by a health professional. I tried not to think about this neglect — it made me sick!

"She will be asking you some questions and recording your height and weight," I started. Rosalie looked surprised, but eager for me to continue. "Then, she will probably take your temperature and blood pressure, listen to your heart and lungs, and look in your eyes, mouth and ears... it is very routine."

Rosalie listened intently, her face still pinched with some concern. I wanted to pull her into my arms for a hug, but that could ruin the progress I seemed to be making with her these days. Esme and I had agreed to set boundaries when it came to how we approach Rosalie. However, it was just me who still followed those guidelines because Esme was forever forgetting and hugging Rosalie and that seemed to be acceptable now so I wondered how Rosalie would react if I would...

No. It was not a good plan to push her too much, too soon. I restrained my yearning to reach out to her. I settled for trying to reassure her with words instead.

"She may want to feel the lymph nodes in your neck and under your jaw if she suspects they may be enlarged at all, but she will be very gentle with you, sweetie."

"And that's it?" she inquired again, looking for confirmation.

"Most likely," I answered honestly. "If she is satisfied that you are in good health — which, Rosalie... I am fairly certain you are — then there will be no need for any further examination or testing."

"Okay..." she mumbled. I could hardly hear her. "...good."

"But Rosalie," I added, not wanting to frighten her. She met my gaze with wide eyes. "Be honest with Dr Beytell... it's important. She is there to help you."

Her eyes darted down and then she nodded sheepishly.

"Anything else you want to know, my dear?" I asked with a lighter tone. When she shook her head I took it as my cue to leave. "Alright… well, you get dressed." I patted her shoulder before I stood up. I smiled to myself as I walked toward the door — she hadn't flinch at my touch this time.

"And, please Rose..." I said, turning around to add one more thing. I pointed to my face. "Make sure you put on a generous layering of sunscreen before you get dressed." I nearly choked on my words as I gave her a shy smirk.

I was pleased when she agreed, her face lighting up a bit as she laughed softly at my predicament.

* * *

Well, I can see how patients complain about waiting rooms...

I was uncomfortably bored, but trying my best to be a mature adult as I waited for Rosalie's appointment to be finished. It was so quiet, the elevator music made me want to rip out my hair and shove it in my ears to make it stop! That is a somewhat strong reaction for me, but with this itching burn that nagged and stung every time I moved, or sometimes when I didn't move, I was not having a good time of having nothing to do. I felt so useless.

_Was she okay in there? Was she scared?_ I desperately wanted to know.

She had been in there a long time. Not too long — but certainly longer than I had expected. That must mean it was going well, though... and for that I was grateful. The walls were not thin by any means, but if Rosalie had lost her temper and raised her voice in there, I would have been aware of it for sure.

Bella had already been in to see Shelley and that had only taken a couple minutes when we had first arrived. Shelley agreed that leaving the puncture wound open was the best option and it would close nicely without too much of a scar. She confirmed that Bella was not showing any signs of infection, and though I had known this myself, it was great to have a second opinion as reassurance. Bella didn't seem to be too worried, she quietly thanked Dr Beytell and had taken a seat in the waiting room beside me and had been absorbed in an old copy of 'Wuthering Heights' from the cabin's library.

After what seemed like eternity, I heard a door click and voices echoing down the hallways to my ears. _Thank Heavens!_ I wanted to see Rosalie with my own eyes and be sure she was okay. She had been so anxious going in...

I stood and smiled at Rosalie as she emerged from the hallway into the lobby. She appeared subdued and the moment our eyes made a connection, they darted away again. I could see clearly that they were puffy and tired looking.

I offered Shelly a less enthused smile — fearing that it had not gone very well in there, after all. She smiled untellingly and motioned with a sideways nod that I should follow her. I hesitated and glanced to make sure Rosalie was alright to leave, but she had already taken a seat next to Bella so I had the feeling she knew what this was about.

I followed my colleague to her office, staring at her dark brown curls that she had clipped up on the back of her head. She didn't wear a lapel either. Whether it was on purpose, I don't know — but I suspected it put her patients more at ease to see her in a pencil skirt and blouse. I always resented the hospitals policy for mandatory scrubs or dress suit and shirt with white coat. Maybe I needed to get my own practice outside of the big city…

"Have a seat, Carlisle," she suggested as we entered her office and she shut the door. I felt my face grow warm — either it was her room, my sunburn, or my anticipation for what was coming that made me feel this way. I was not sure, but I took a seat and sighed.

"Is everything, okay, Shelley?"

"Rosalie is a very healthy young girl, Carlisle," she told me gently, sitting next to me, rather than behind her desk. "Nothing to be concerned about. I gave her the first Hep B inoculation today and she had no reaction thus far that I can tell."

"I will keep my eye on her…"

Shelley smiled and nodded. "Of course!"

"And what about Measles?"

"I think one was enough for the day. Perhaps in a week or so…" Shelley took in a calming breath and exhaled slowly. This meant that something had happened during the appointment that had made her change her mind. She explained, "She was brave, but I didn't want to push her too far. Her BP was up a bit as it was."

I fought the instinct to ask about that, but if Shelley was not worried about it, then I trusted it was just anxiety that had increased her blood pressure. That was not uncommon for patients to experience during an exam.

"Thank you, Shelley," I told her, patting her hand. "It means so much to Esme and I to have your support. I don't feel as confident as a physician when it comes to my children. I don't know what we'd do without you."

"You're welcome, Carlisle. You know I love seeing you guys. I wish it was not always to mend Bella, but…" She grinned playfully. "…What I mean is — it is always a treat when you bring the munchkins in to visit me!"

I chuckled, but when her face grew somber and she placed her hand on top of my hand… I braced myself.

"There is something more about Rosalie…"

"Yes?" I whispered hoarsely; my face tight. "What is it?" The suspense was the worst part. She seemed to struggle to find the right words.

"Rosalie…" she exhaled. "Well, she shared some of her fears with me..."

I was pleased to hear it, but also I felt a tiny stab of jealousy — _shame on me_ — due to the fact that Rosalie had opened up so willingly to Shelley and she had not to me or Esme after all this time.

"That's good," I replied, shaking off my feelings of hurt. "I am glad. She needs to talk to someone."

"Yes. And I did suggest she could speak with a therapist who might have more experience than I have with this sort of thing, but she was determined she would not be able to. She wanted to tell me…" She paused. "…because she doesn't know how to tell you or Esme."

I will admit that my heart felt that jab too, though I knew this was best for Rosalie. If Rosalie was not ready to talk to me or Esme, then that was alright.

Shelley continued, "In fact, the only way she would share with me was if I agreed to be the one to tell you."

"Tell me?"

"She's afraid of how you might react to some of the things that she had been through. She did not have a lot of support when she tried to tell her story before… and she thinks you and Esme are going to be like all the other families she has lived with in the past."

My mouth hung open slightly and my head shook automatically. She nodded, knowing what I was thinking.

"I know this is not the case, Carlisle. I assured Rosalie that I have known you and your family for years and that she can trust you — that anyone could trust you — but it is not up to me to change her mind — that will come with time, I am sure of it," Shelley said positively. "She has agreed for me to relay what she divulged to me so you will know the truth."

I gulped. I almost didn't want to know now. If my suspicions were true they would not be suspicions anymore — and that would be painful to acknowledge.

"And she is telling the truth, Carlisle," Shelley told me with a strong sincerity. "Rosalie was completely honest to me in there today… she was so brave."

"I know…" I believed her. She didn't need to tell me that, though I appreciated that she was on side with our family.

There was a moment where we both listened to the clock tick before we silently knew it was time.

"She was sexually assaulted by her mother's fiancé when she was eleven," she began in a neutral tone, but I could still hear a touch of a tremble in her voice. "Rosalie was quite firm with me that there had been no penetration — she got away with only some bruising and rashes on her body. And that was the last time she lived with her mother… She ran away the next day."

Shelley studied my horrified expression before she continued.

"Her mother was prostituting herself from their home…"

_Oh God! _I struggled to keep my emotions intact. I covered my mouth with my hand, wanting Shelley to continue. Rosalie needed me to be her father and listen to what her doctor was telling me now. It was important.

"There was no physical abuse besides the occasional groping that happened… until the last few months. Rosalie revealed that her mother did slap her a few times and she claims it only happened when her mother was drinking," Shelley said with a touch of disgust.

_Only?_ What kind of human being harms their child in any way — alcoholic or not? There is no excuse for abuse and violence in this world!

"Rosalie insisted that her mother had not let the men hurt her, but she did admit that there were times when she was made to sit on their laps or sing to them and a few times they had touched her or kissed her without her mother's permission."

"Oh, dear Lord…" I mumbled through my hand. How could this happen to a little girl. It was so much worse than I thought. It was real now.

"I know it is a lot to listen to right now." Shelley's voice was gentle. "Rosalie broke down and cried when she had finished telling me. She was very scared that you would not want her around your kids anymore and she would be sent away."

I shut my eyes unfathomably and tears spilled out. _How could she think that?_ I was in a rush to go back to Rosalie so I rubbed my face to rid the tears. I was not ashamed to be crying — Shelley had tears in her eyes too.

I had to pull myself together now. I had to let Rosalie know how proud I was of her for finally sharing this with us, how sorry I was for what she had been through, and how she didn't have to be afraid anymore.

I wanted to hold her. I didn't care about boundaries anymore. I would try to hold her even if she pushed away. She needed to know I loved her — that we all loved her. No matter what!

To Be Continued…

* * *

_So now Carlisle knows that his suspicions were correct, yet is always worse to hear the truth brought to light. **How do you think he is handling the news?** If he were not such a level-headed man he might have broken a chair or something! **Cool, calm, compassionate Carlisle is better, right?** Most of the chapter too place leading up to this reveal. **What did you think about Carlisle's interactions with Esme, Bella, Alice, and Rosalie in the morning?** That is a lot of females to encounter within a small time frame! _

_And poor Rose... She thinks that the Cullens won't have her around once they know about her past. :( **Do you think this fear is justified given her history? ****How do you think she will react when she has to face Carlisle now? Or the rest of the family? **_

_*The next chapter will pick up where this one left off, but from Rosalie's POV. Much drama to take place, for sure. What do you expect when it comes to Rosalie? ;) Previews are available for ch 21. It might be a few days til I send out review responses, but you know I am good for it. I love to hear from all of you! _

_**Thank you for reading! **_

_Next update will be Monday, July 26th._


	21. Chapter 21 Hope

_Thank you to Catharticone and RandomSugarRush for their contribution and support! _

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight Saga Characters-they belong to Stephanie Meyer. The rest of this story is mine. :)_

_*Note- I want to say thanks to the anonymous reviewers who I can not respond to: thank you! I appreciate hearing from you. _

_*NEW ILLUSTRATION ALERT: There were a few requests for some drawings and I had some time yesterday when I was sitting outside in the sunshine. I can't write on a laptop in the sun, after all... Don't think I be slackin'! ;) So if you would like to check them out the links are on my profile page and they can be viewed on DeviantArt. Thank you, Twilightlover1518 for her request to have Dr Shelley Beytell illustrated and Anonymous Reviewer with No Name, I drew Rosalie and Emmett's ice cream shop kiss from chapter 15 too. I won't always be able to draw requests, so if you have one that is great, but please don't be hurt if I can't get to it. :)  
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* * *

_**Thorns**

**Chapter Twenty-One**

_What have__ I done? _

I could hardly see straight as I waited in the lobby as Dr Beytell took Carlisle back to do what I had asked of her.

I had turned myself in finally. This was it! Carlisle would tell Esme and then they would both call Clara and I would have to leave soon — maybe even today. I would never see the Cullens again — I would never see Emmett again.

I was shaking so hard that it didn't feel like I was shaking at all. My teeth wanted to click together, but I clenched them tightly so they couldn't. Bella was absorbed in her book, thank goodness. I still felt the urge to get up and run away and hide. I had nowhere to go, though. I didn't have any money, either, and all my things were at the cabin. I was stuck!

_Why was I so stupid to tell her__ everything? _

I shouldn't have told her to tell him… he wouldn't believe me. I had said too much. He would think I was just making this up for attention.

_Did she trick me? _I had told her everything so willingly, I felt like maybe I had not thought it all through well enough.

No… I wanted to tell her.

_Why did I want to tell her again?_ She could lie to him. She could tell him that I was crazy and a liar and that I needed more help than they could give me. That is what I had been told before.

Vera had broken my heart. I was sure the Cullens would do the same. I tried to prepare for it now…

My mind was on overdrive, and I kept running the conversation I had just had with Dr Beytell over and over in my mind to make sure I had told it right. I had struggled to tell her the first bit — about my mother... she seemed to know it was hard for me. She helped me by asking more questions and all I had to do was tell her. And I did! I told her everything!

It had felt surprisingly nice as I told her the truth. The truth was painful, but it was the good kind of pain. The kind that made you hurt so badly that you can't breathe, but then when it passes — for that moment right after — it is like you have something worth living for again. And your mind can play tricks on you when you feel hope again.

I wanted Dr Beytell to tell Carlisle for me. I was not sure what my reasoning was anymore. I guess I had thought it was better to tell Dr Beytell and have her tell him for me. I was too scared to tell him or Esme myself. I would never have been able to, and it would have come out all wrong — it would have come out in angry screams for sure.

But it was easy to tell Dr Beytell. She was just some stranger and it wasn't as scary to tell her about my past because I didn't care about her at all. I didn't care if she thought I was lying or if she thought I was disgusting or if she hated me. It was safe to tell her… she had told me that it would be confidential. That is when I knew that I had the option of taking away that confidentiality.

I told her to tell Carlisle for me because I was a coward. I needed the Cullens to know what I had done so they could kick me out sooner, rather than later. I was getting too close to them — to Emmett especially. It was not a good thing. I didn't want to be with them any longer. It would hurt too much later when my time was up.

I needed to be sure that the hope I had felt when I told Dr Beytell wasn't merely an illusion. I didn't deserve the Cullens. I would be stupid to think they were unlike the others. This would prove it!

Yes… I had made the right choice. Carlisle would not want me around his perfect children anymore, and he would call Clara and tell her it was not working out, I was not good enough for them, and that she would have to make other arrangements for me for the remainder of the summer.

I nodded as I came to grips with this.

"Rosalie?" Bella called my name. I jumped a bit; there was no way to pretend that I had not just been startled. Bella looked at me with hesitant concern. "Are... you okay? You look... a bit... green."

"I'm fine," I told her, hugging the ache in my chest. My teeth hurt too from biting down so hard on them. "What's it to you, anyway?"

"I — I was just asking. I wanted to make sure you were okay," she told me. "I'm trying to be your friend."

"We're not friends," I replied. It was a lot harder to choke out than I had presumed it would be to say. I had sounded so mean saying those words for some reason. No one — no girl my own age especially — had ever wanted to be my friend before.

"We have to try to get along," she reasoned softly. "We share a room and-"

"Well, you won't have to worry about me much longer! You can have your room back very soon I am guessing!"

Bella made a face. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

Before I could say anything more there was a sound of a door clicking open and both Bella and I looked to the hallway. I felt sick again. My head pounded with tension as I stood up. My legs were just barely able to keep my body upright as Carlisle came walking toward me.

He walked so briskly and his face was hard to read — like stone. He almost appeared to be angry. He didn't stop walking — he was coming right at me! I couldn't move my legs to run if I wanted to. I braced myself and closed my eyes... and there was an impact that nearly knocked me over and expelled the oxygen from my lungs.

_Had he just hit me?_

"Oh, Rosalie," he whispered. "I am so sorry." His voice was different somehow. It was not just pity I heard. I was not sure what he meant.

_Was he apologizing because they couldn't keep me any longer?_

I felt my legs turn to jelly. My body shook as dry, empty sobs broke loose. I wondered why I had not crashed to the floor yet, but I opened my eyes and found that Carlisle was holding me up. He was hugging me so firmly that there was nowhere for me to go and no way to get free.

"Thank you for telling us, Rose. You're safe now. You're safe now…" He kept saying that. "You're safe now."

_What did he mean? How was I ever going to be safe? He didn't know where I was going to end up, did he? Had they already called Clara? Oh no… Clara had warned me she would run out of homes for me! Was I going to a group home? Or worse... to juvenile detention for all the horrible things I had done? _

I couldn't feel my extremities anymore and I wondered if he was squeezing me so tightly on purpose — as punishment. Then he reached down with his hand and there was a jingling sound. I felt something brush my thigh…

"No! No, please don't!" I reacted without thought. I dug my fingers into his arms and tried to pull away from him. I began to fall, but hands held me up and suddenly I was seated again. Dr Beytell had her arm around me and she was speaking, but I could not hear her over my heavy breathing and the thumping sound inside my ears. Carlisle was kneeling in front of me and I watched his hand reach back and pass something to Bella. I could hardly make out what he was saying to her.

"Go now… the car... will be… soon…" Bella gave me a sad glance over her shoulder as she left the building.

_What was going on? Where was Bella going? He__ had sent her away to tell me the bad news, hadn't he? Oh, Lord, they were coming to get me now, weren't they? _

I wouldn't even have time to say goodbye to…

"…Em." His named hummed from my lips — I doubt it was coherent to anyone except me. Now he would only remember the last time we spoke — when I told him I didn't want to see him anymore. I called him an asshole and I pretended I didn't care. He would never know how happy he had made me. I suppose it was better that way… better for him.

"Sweetie," Carlisle said. I couldn't bear to look at him so I watched the light flickering on the wall because of the overhead fan that was swirling slowly above us. "Try to relax and take a few slow breaths."

It was too hard to breathe. I heard Dr Beytell for the first time as she pressed something damp to the back of my neck. "It is all over now, Rosalie. You don't have to be scared to tell the truth anymore. He knows…"

I turned to look at her. She smiled and nodded. "You did the right thing, Rosalie. I know you were scared about how he would react, but look…" she told me, her eyes moving to Carlisle. "…He is not upset with you."

"No. I'm not upset with you at all, darling," he told me. His hands took my face and he leaned in.

"I'm sorry," I squeaked. I didn't know who I was anymore. I never apologized for anything — I didn't know why I was starting now. But… it has just slipped out. The tears were unstoppable and they burned my cool cheeks as they ran down my face.

Carlisle shook his head and came closer. I tensed, but there was no pain. I felt a gentle pressure on my hairline around my temple and then he backed off again. _What was that? Had he just kissed me_? I could not see straight.

"You have nothing to be sorry for Rosalie. Not for anything that happened to you, honey."

I wanted to ask him how much longer I had, but every time I thought of leaving a new sob would break from inside me and more tears would fall.

Two hands rubbed my back and two hands held me up for quite some time as I tried to catch my breath.

After a few tedious minutes went ticking by at a snail's pace, I began to calm down. I think I was just too tired to cry anymore — but I was grateful to find a steadier pattern for breathing again. Carlisle kept telling me to try and relax, that everything would be okay, but I don't think he understood how terrible living with strangers was. I couldn't relax knowing I would have to start over again. He didn't understand!

Whenever I tried to find my voice to ask him what was going to happen now, no words would follow.

"Perhaps you would like some cool water to sip on?" Dr Beytell whispered. "I will be back in just a moment." Then she got up and left a cool patch on my left side where she had been sitting next to me.

"Rosalie…" Carlisle's voice summoned me. I brought my eyes up to meet his. This must be it. He looked very serious, yet for some reason he appeared to have been crying too — or maybe he was just read from the sun burn. "I want you to know that what you have told Dr Beytell and me is confidential and between us. When we get home… it is up to you whether you want to tell the others or not. I would assume you would like to keep it from the kids, is that correct?"

"I… uh…" My voice cracked. It wasn't that I didn't understand the question; I just didn't know my answer. _Home?_ I had not thought about telling the others at all.

"Here you go, Rosalie." Dr Beytell had returned with a cone shaped cup of water and held it out for me. "This might make you feel a bit better." I took it from her and her hand hovered around mine until I put it to my lips and managed to take a few swallows of the crisp liquid. It did feel nice as it cleansed my dry mouth and throat.

"Thanks," I managed to say. There were still a bit of water left in the cup, so she held it for me.

"You're welcome."

"Did you want Dr Beytell to have the same talk with Esme?" Carlisle asked me. My confusion must have been obvious. "Or if you would like to tell her yourself… I can help you."

I shook my head — which wasn't my answer.

"No? You don't want to tell her?"

"I… I don't…"

"If you are not ready, that is okay too, Rosalie," Dr Beytell. "You have made a lot of progress already by telling me and Carlisle. It may feel strange to have someone know so much about you, because you are used to keeping this secret… but this is going to help Carlisle and Esme take better care of you now that they know why you have been so afraid."

"I'm n-not af-raid," I stuttered, giving her a hard look. Her expression was difficult to read, but she didn't falter.

"Good," she said. "You don't have to be afraid anymore."

"That's right. And you should not feel ashamed for what happened to you, Rose. Never! None of it was your fault. You were just a little girl. Do you understand?" Carlisle demanded. His eyes were such light blue they almost looked like crystal. My chin quivered and I felt a chill run through me. "It was not your fault, sweetheart. You need to know that."

I nodded. I knew it was not my fault… _It wasn't my fault, right? _I found the strength to inhale and exhale slowly without interruption.

"Good, Rosalie," Dr Beytell cooed. "That's good."

"Are you feeling well enough to go back home now, hon?" Carlisle asked me. I stared at him, wondering what he was talking about. "Or if you want to stay here for a while I can get Bella to come back inside…"

"Wh-" I couldn't finish the sentence. I frowned and looked down. _So… I was going back to the cabin with them?_

"Bella has the car cooled down now. If you want to go home and lie down for a bit, have a rest — that might help, dear." Carlisle sounded sincere.

"Back to th-the cabin?" I needed to be sure I was hearing him properly.

He nodded and smiled, just barely, and patted my hand that he was holding with his other.

"I can… stay?"

His eyes narrowed and his part lips pressed together. "Of course… w-where else w-would you be going?"

I shrugged weakly, not sure if I should feel embarrassment or not, but he looked slightly hurt maybe?

"Of course you are staying with us! Nothing has changed, Rose," he assured me.

"I just thought…" No, I couldn't tell him... I didn't want to give him any ideas.

"We care about you, Rosalie. You are a part of our family and nothing — absolutely nothing — will change the fact that we care about you and want only the best for you."

Before I could think of words to reply, he wrapped his arms around me again and I practically fell off my seat. I wasn't scared of his touch this time — which was new for me — I was just unsure how to respond. My arms stuck out at my sides awkwardly needing something to hold onto. "Please say you want to come home to us?" he implored. "We all want you to stay. I would not lie to you, honey."

I couldn't answer. It was pathetic, I know. I felt ashamed for not telling him that I really did want to go _home_. The word was such a nice one — almost as comforting as the name, Emmett.

_Maybe I would get another chance__ to have a family? _

Finally, Carlisle released me and kissed my forehead again, this time right in the very center, between my eyes. His touch was not the same as Royce's… there was no burn. Carlisle's kiss was soft and innocent, because he meant well by it — like the hug. This time I was not afraid he would hurt me. I was only concerned about what his kiss stood for. I wish it would have comforted me like he probably intended it to.

I wasn't cured yet, I guess.

The next few moments were deafeningly quiet. Perhaps Carlisle was reconsidering what to do with me since I had not hugged him back or said anything when he had tried to console me.

I wondered why he had chosen not to call Esme yet — why he thought I should tell her myself. _Didn't he know that I couldn't do that?_ It would be like Vera all over again! No, this was not over… not until Esme knew the truth too.

I was determined to tell Esme as soon as possible so she could make the final decision. I had come this far — I didn't want to hide from Esme and drag this out any longer. If I was to stay with the Cullens, Esme was the one I had to convince. She would need to know how seductive I could be — all those men I had led on — and she would need to know that I loved her son.

_Would she try to protect him from me? __Like Vera had done to protect Henry from me? _I needed to know Esme was as forgiving as her husband.

I struggled to stand up on my own, but heavy hands were all over me and in my way. Carlisle stood too and didn't let me fall when my body swayed. Dr Beytell said something to him about rest and some more water when we got back to the cabin. I began to get impatient just standing there so looked to the door expectantly.

"Are you ready to go home now?" he asked me again.

"Yes," I said. I was ready to confess to Esme too.

* * *

The ride back to the lake was pretty quiet. Bella didn't say anything at all. I appreciated that. I think she knew that there was nothing she could say that could help the situation. Silence was better...

Carlisle made a few small comments on the air conditioning to make sure I was not too cool and he would occasionally look over at me and smile — I think. His hand stroked my arm a few times, causing me to tense, but I was coming to the conclusion he was just a sappy guy and I didn't have to worry about him hurting me. Well, not with Bella or any of the others around, as least. He was a pretty decent father from that I had seen. However, I had no basis for comparison so I probably wasn't the right person to make this assessment.

I only said one thing in the car. I don't know why I felt the need to say it out loud, but it slipped out. "I need to tell Esme."

"Of course, sweetie. That's fine." Carlisle was going to agree with anything I wanted, it seemed. He continued to watch me with a concerned expression the whole ride back. I hoped he was not changing his mind about calling Clara. He had grown silent by the end of the journey, too.

It was the sound of the engine and minor vibration of the motor cutting out that told me we have arrived at the cabin. Bella was the first out, though she was considerate enough not to hurry away from me right away. I am sure she was just dying to go tell Edward about my freak-out.

"Are you ready to go inside?" Carlisle asked me. I had not realized I was just staring at the front door.

His question made me a bit angry. Of course I was not ready to go face them — to face Esme. I had no choice... that was the reality. I_ had_ to get this off my chest.

I opened the car door and I shoved the thick metal away from me with what little strength I had left. I was pathetically weak. Carlisle was out of the driver's side and at my door to help in flash — I would have missed him moving if I had blinked. He was that fast!

I didn't mean to pause at the door, but I had no idea what I was in for. Plus, I must have cried my makeup off and probably looked like a drowned rat now. My face felt pinched and itchy from crying, my eyes were sore. My hair was all fluffy and untamed as I quickly smoothed it and tucked it behind my ears — I was a mess.

Carlisle hovered by my side, one hand under my elbow and the other was waiting on the door handle. He watched me for instructions. He whispered, "If you want to go lie down and rest for a while... I can make sure you are not disturbed. And for tonight only, if you would like to skip dinner with the family I am sure Esme would not mind making a tray up for you and you may eat in your room. Esme or I, or perhaps if you want to spend some more time with Bella-"

"No." I didn't want to spend time with any of them. Only Emmett, but it was still a secret that we were more than friends and I couldn't let them know that, too. They'd really think I was a whore! "I just want to get this all over with — I want Esme to know so it will be over."

"One step at a time, dear," he told me. "You have had a rough day. Are you sure you don't want to lie down for a bit?"

I shook my head, making it pound slightly and I am sure he noticed my wince.

"How about you go clean up? Bella will help you if you would like..."

I shook my head again. It was like an etchasketch — the movement cleared my thoughts and left the view a bit fuzzy.

"You're exhausted, sweetheart. At least go to your room and rest. I will bring you some water and perhaps something to eat. When you are feeling a bit steadier you, Esme, and I will talk. How does that sound for a plan?"

I closed my eyes briefly and struggled to think. It was a better plan than anything I could come up with. I agreed. When I motioned forward, he pushed the handle of the door down all the way until the door clicked open and he ushered me in to the warmly lit home.

I don't know what I expected, but to guess — for starters — I thought Alice would be shouting high pitched annoyances my way the moment I walked in. Or Edward should have been plucking away at his guitar with Bella sitting nearby 'pretending' to read. Jasper might have been catapulting toys across the room with a spoon... And Emmett might have been wearing his giant baseball glove, trying to catch said objects in flight.

If Esme was present, she might be trying to settle Alice or Jasper down... but if she was really tired, she would be in the kitchen, preparing dinner with a smile on her face that meant she had half given up and she was just happy to be in the same room with all of her chaotic brats!

That is what the Cullen family was like. I had come to expect this from them after a month living with them. They were the like _The Brady Bunch_, except not so perky after all. Well... Alice was pretty fuckin' perky. In the mornings it took all my will power not to slug her one!

Anyway... what was strange now, as Carlisle led me inside, was how still it was in the large, open room. I think he felt it too. It was not normal.

_W__ere they avoiding me now?_ My heart crushed into my rib cage. _Where were they?_

"Well?" Carlisle repeated. "Does that sound okay to you... to go have a rest in your room for a bit?"

I nodded absent-mindedly. I could still hear them, they were near — outside in the yard, or maybe some were up in the loft... but they were being so quiet. It was eerie.

Carlisle gently encouraged me to the bedroom and once we were inside, he left me to freshen up. He also wanted me to lie down if I could. I knew what he was getting at — I felt like I had been awake for days without sleep. But I needed to talk to Esme. It would not be safe to close my eyes — I could not rest — until I knew for sure that she would not send me away.

However, it appeared she was just as eager to speak to me too...

"Rosalie, darling... how was -?" she asked coming at me with her arms spread wide as I entered the bedroom. "What happened? Is everything alright?" Her tone had shifted as she got a closer look at me. She pulled me toward her and cradled my head to her chest. As awkward as the position was, the feeling of closeness was not completely unbearable. I wished she would stop being so nice to me, though. She had no idea who I really was.

"Rosalie has something she would like to discuss with you, honey," Carlisle helped me explain. "But she needs to have a seat, drink some water, and take it easy... it has been a long day."

"Of course! Of course, it has," Esme agreed, releasing the tight caress she had on me. She hauled me over to my bed and sat down with me at her side. She cupped my hands in hers. "Whatever it is you want to talk to me about, my darling, we will work it out. Don't you worry — we are here to help you."

I could feel burning behind my eyelids, but I must have run dry because no tears followed. Carlisle had left briefly and returned with a tall glass of water and he encouraged me to drink as much as I could — slowly.

After a couple of minutes, I had finished off the water. I felt uncomfortably full, but I was starting to lose my nerve so I shoved the water glass back at Carlisle determined to spit it all out as fast as I could...

Esme's face was what did it — she looked positively fretful and that brought the water and other stomach contents rising back up. I covered my mouth and ran to out of the room, both of them following closely behind me. I nearly didn't make it, but as soon as I reached the toilet, my time was up. I must have vomited a litre of water and bile before I stopped gagging. It hurt my stomach to use so much force, but it was involuntary and didn't stop until everything I had consumed today had expelled itself.

"Oh, sweetie," Esme cooed, her hands holding back my hair.

Carlisle was literally holding me up from completely face planting into the toilet. It was so humiliating. "That's it, Rose... just relax and take some slow breaths," he suggested, his hand rubbing my back slowly up and down between my shoulder blades and then along my spine. It did help to soothe the nausea. "Good girl."

Esme tied my hair up, out of the way, with an elastic band. I heard the tap running for a few seconds before she knelt down beside me with a damp cloth, wiping my face. I felt like an infant, but I was too weak to refuse her. I closed my eyes and wished I was dead.

Even with my eyes closed, I felt like I was spinning. It was a terrible feeling. However, it only lasted a couple of seconds before a comfortable, still darkness set in...

"Rosalie?" Carlisle's voice was urgent through my foggy mind. "Can you hear me, darling?" I felt some pressure against my throat.

"What is it? Is she alright, Carlisle? Is she having a reaction the vaccine? She feels warm."

I cracked my eyes open to peek at her. _Why_ _did she look like she had seen a ghost?_ I was fine! I hadn't even told her the bad news yet...

Actually, I felt a lot better now than I had since we left the doctor's office — like I had rebooted or something. I was groggy, but not feeling sick at all anymore. I was sort of dopey too, which was a pleasant, carefree feeling for a change.

Esme smiled a concerned smile at me as she cupped my cheek with her hand. Carlisle leaned in closer and touched my cheek too. His face was thoughtful — professional — and confident. He said in a calm voice, "She's going to be just fine." He gave me a smile. "I think the worst is over, sweetheart. I want you to try a bit more water, though, okay? You can sip it slowly."

I agreed with a short nod.

"I will go get a few bottles of water from the fridge. Cold is better, right, Hon?" Esme asked. Carlisle must have replied, but I didn't hear it. Esme was gone and Carlisle was left holding me, propped up on his knees.

"Do you still feel sick to your stomach, sweetie?"

I shook my head. "No. I feel better now," I told him honestly.

He seemed very pleased with that. "I'm glad. I am going to help you sit up for a bit and I want you to let me know immediately if you feel lightheaded or unsteady. I think you will be more comfortable in your bed, so I would like to move you there as soon as you think you are ready."

I let him guide me up and when I reassured him I didn't feel sick or dizzy at all, he lifted me up and helped me walk back to my room. Esme joined us there and she took over with her coddling ways. She brought me more pillows than I needed and extra blankets, water bottles, every kind of juice she had in the fridge, and even offered to drive to the store for anything I thought I might need or want.

She sure was not making this easy for me. Carlisle seemed to sense I was overwhelmed again and he found a very subtle, kind way of getting Esme to back off a little. She smiled at me once more as she left to go make me some toast for dinner if I was feeling up to eating. Carlisle told her that some bland toast would be fine.

I was rather hungry. My stomach felt too empty now.

"I would like it if you could get some rest, Rose," Carlisle said softly to me after Esme had gone. "I'm fairly positive you will be feeling better once the water and some toast settle in your stomach... then I want you to sleep for a bit."

"But... what about Esme?" I asked. My eyes teared slightly. "I can't... I don't know how to-" I didn't even know how to say what I wanted to Carlisle. How was I going to explain my past to Esme? It was hopeless! _I was hopeless_.

"Shhh," Carlisle hushed me, sitting down next to me on the bed. His hand hovered over mine until I noticed he was doing this and then he cautiously lowered it. I fought the griping urge to pull back from him. It was habit more than anything else. "You don't have to tell her now if you are not feeling up to it."

"I don't want her to find out later and-" I began to explain. "I mean... she needs to know now!" I was pleading. I could not sleep knowing that it could be my last sleep at the Cullen's._ Or, could hope for more time with them — with Em? _

I needed help and I could not believe Carlisle was going to make me ask him...

"Can you..." I started, looking at the door. "Can you tell her?"

"I can," Carlisle replied lightly. "If that is what you would like from me. I will do whatever you ask, dear."

I nodded eagerly. "Just tell her all of it... so she can decide if I can stay or not!" I had not meant it to come out so needy sounding. Carlisle was good at keeping a fairly neutral face — probably because he had to deliver bad news a lot in his career — so I was not sure if his gentle stare was a good sign or not.

His hand stroked my hand and he bowed his head. "I will tell her, Rose — everything you shared with Dr Beytell and me today — but you are not going anywhere," he said. "Not if Esme or I have anything to say about it."

"That's right..." Esme's voice startled me. I guess she had been by the door and had overheard our conversation. She hurried over and sat down next to Carlisle. "We were going to wait to discuss this with you at a more appropriate time, but..."

My heart began to pound against my rib cage as if it wanted to escape — but there was no hiding this time. I had to face this — no matter what it was they had to say to me. I was surprisingly calm… I had a different idea of what was to happen next. It was a most positive alternative and I couldn't believe I was allowing myself to consider it before they had even offered it to me. But I would say yes. _Oh, please, let me say yes!_

I knew this was one of those moments that I would remember forever. Esme and Carlisle shared an approving glance and I began to feel something I had not felt in so long, maybe ever… It was hope.

To Be Continued…

* * *

**I don't need to spell it out, do I? Who knew this was coming?** Come on, be honest. **Was Esme's reaction everything you thought it would be?** I mean...she has not had the whole story, but she doesn't need to know to love Rose and have her join their family. That's how love works! **Will Rose accept it?** ;)

_Reminder if you don't read ANs at the top:_ New Illustrations for Thorns are up at my DeviantArt gallery for those who are interested.

**Thank you for reading and reviewing! **

*Next update will be August 9th (2 weeks). Thank you for your patience in waiting for updates. I have a lot of writing to catch up on, but it is all in the works. Previews are available via review response. I will try to make it a good, long one since you have to wait two weeks. xoxo

Coming up in Chapter 22- Esme starts to suspect something going on between Rosalie and Emmett, but she has her hands full when Alice has another one of her 'nightmares'!


	22. Chapter 22 Intuition

_Big thank you, and hugs, to Catharticone and RandomSugarRush for their continuous support on this story.  
_

_Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed. I appreciate it... Always! I wish I could share my bumbleberry pies with all of you._

_Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer. I am only borrowing her characters for this fan fiction. Please don't sue me. :D  
_

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**Thorns**

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

August 6th, 2009, Thursday

"Emmett!" That boy had selective hearing, I swear. He was always the first to come when I called dinner time, but when he had a mess to clean up, he was nowhere to be found. "I know you can hear me, Emmett. I am not cleaning up the kitchen for you this time!"

Maybe I was being silly. It was summer. He was having fun outside with his brothers and it really would only take me a couple of minutes to put away the sandwich fixings he had left scattered on the counter. _But what would that teach him?_ It is not every one — every woman — that will jump at the chance to tidy up for him. He was adorable and those dimples and sweet, sweet smile were hard to resist, but I was determined to raise my boys to be ambitious, courteous gentleman — like their father.

"Emmett!" I repeated. I was about to go out there! I didn't want to, but it was my motherly duty to check up on him. "Don't make me come out there to get you… 'Cause I will, young man. And your game will be over for the day."

"I've got it!" Rosalie told me, bounding in and squishing by me. She was already brushing up wilted pieces of chopped up lettuce into her hands when I overcame my surprise. Things had changed in the last few weeks between us — that was for sure — but this was more like a miracle, to have her willing to do chores that were not assigned to her.

"Rose… you don't have to-"

"It's cool. I told him I would do it."

"But it is his mess, dear. Surly he-"

"He shared his sandwich with me," she lied. I knew there was no way Emmett would have shared his sandwich. Or, if he had — that was another miracle, and I would have to start spending more time with my children to find out what they were up to.

"He shared his sandwich with you?" I asked her incredulously. My slanted eye made her fidget a bit and she conceded.

"Well, just a tiny bite."

They were being so kind and considerate of one another lately. Not just Rosalie — since that night when we reached a turning point with her, she had been trying a lot harder not to swear or jump to conclusions about others' intentions — but Bella and Edward too… They were not bickering quiet as much and the group of four were all spending a lot of time together. It was a good thing Alice had Jasper as a companion, and vice versa, because those two would have been bored to tears the way elder children had been cliquing lately.

_I hope it is not d__rugs..._ No, no… what a silly thought. _Shame on me for even thinking the thought! _I was just tired and delirious with joy that our family was to become eight! I tried not to think about the night when I had first brought up the idea of adding one more into our family — the night Alice had set eight glasses by mistake… That child was eerily gifted. I don't care what any mental health professional says about her condition — she was not sick — she was another one of my many miracles.

They all were.

I smiled at Rose and came around to open the fridge for her as she hurriedly picked up every condiment container that had been left out and took one trip instead of the two needed for the task.

"So... what are you kids up to today?" I asked innocently, shrugging it off and playing with the tea towel that was hanging from the door of the fridge. I didn't want to sound eager. Eager moms never got any answers.

"Um…" Rosalie shoved the mustard bottle beside the milk on a shelf and the mayonnaise in the door of the fridge by the orange juice. She put the relish on top of a rickety stack of yogurts and she tossed the baggy of onion and the cheese both into the cheese bin. I would have to reorganize it all when she had left, but I didn't dare comment. I was so proud of her. "We are going to go to second beach for a swim. Emmett says there is a rope swing…"

"Mmm," I hummed. "There is." I closed the fridge door when she was done.

She grabbed a dish towel and ran it under the tap for a few seconds.

"Here, sweetie," I offered, holding out my hand to her. "I will finish up. You kids go have fun."

"Okay!" she agreed — almost too readily. But I _had _offered. She smiled and tossed the wet towel into my open palm. She was about to leave, but I called her back.

"Rosalie?"

"Ye…ah?" I could still see the fret in her pretty, violet eyes. Every time her name was called she seemed a bit worried about what would follow… However, she was not as skittish. I think she was starting to believe what Carlisle and I had told her — that we loved her very much and that we wanted to adopt her. I know that she had felt a lot more secure with this arrangement once we had contacted Clara together and were met with positive feedback from her long-time social worker.

"How are you feeling today?" I asked softly, touching her arms, letting my hand slide down to her hand where I gave it a squeeze.

"Oh!" She sounded relieved it was this question again. Carlisle and I had made it a point to ask her every day, so she would have the option to tell us if something was bothering her instead of waiting for her to come to us with her thoughts or concerns. "Good."

"Good," I replied happily. And I was happy. It was not the deepest conversation, but at least we were communicating. I leaned in and kissed her cheek, not letting go of her hand in the mean time.

I understood that she didn't like the touching too well, but it was important that she get used to our affection — it would be good for her. I was not about to change my ways. My children all were all shown love with words _and_ actions. That was the kind of mother I was.

* * *

The day went by too quickly, as usual. I was trying to keep Alice and Jasper entertained — when they found out they had been left behind again, they were not very happy — and I also had a lot of phone calls to make back home in Ithaca. We only had three more weeks until we would pack up and head back to the city and there was much to organize so that Rosalie's transition would go as smoothly as possible.

The paperwork was still being processed at the social service office — Clara was pulling all her strings to make this an easy transition for Rosalie. We didn't want any more bumps in the road. The original plan had been a temporary stay, but Clara was more than thrilled to change the details so we could adopt Rosalie. It would take some time, but if we would have more rights as her foster parents if an adoption was underway.

I had already made arrangements for a bed to be delivered to the house for Rosalie. She was not thrilled with the idea of sharing a room with Bella, but with Alice's sleep pattern and her hyper energy we thought it was best have Alice in her own space. Rosalie was not the most patient, and Alice was known for trying one's patience. Bella and Rosalie were polar opposites, but they were the same age — only a month apart — and they would be in the same grade at school this year. I was not sure of Rosalie's study habits, but her grades were not as high as Bella's... if it was due to environment, then perhaps Bella might be a good influence for her to be around.

And then there was the task of convincing Rosalie of our sincerity — that we did love her and want her to be a part of our family forever. I hoped the words would become truths for her soon, but for now she was still a bit weary. _And who could blame her?_

Since the night Carlisle told me the story of Rosalie's upbringing and the attempted rape she had just barely escaped, I had been even more determined she would be our girl!

What kind of mother lets her daughter grow up believing she is only as good as the attention she receives from men?

It was sickening, the things that came out from Rosalie's confession when she had finally been able to share the details with us. It had made Rosalie physically ill to bring up her past. I spent the whole night by her side until she had fallen asleep. I had known she had been through some terrible things, but it was almost too horrible to imagine her as a little girl, exploited by her mother and all those lecherous men! Rosalie had not known it — I didn't want to upset her — but I had cried myself to sleep that night too and even Carlisle was not able to console me.

In the morning, after Bella and Alice were up and eating breakfast, I crawled up next to Rosalie and I had held her and reinforced to her how much we wanted her to come home with us at the end of the summer. She had already agreed the night before, even before I had heard her story, but she seemed sincere in her reply. It was just a silent nod, but she was sure of herself this time.

She was too close to us to let go of her now. And Carlisle and I would make sure she would have all the love and support she needed to make her well again. She knew that — we told her we would take care of her.

I finished calling the delivery company for Rosalie's new bed frame and mattress. I wanted to have the girl's room set up when we arrived home so I planned to make a trip home this weekend to accept the delivery and get the house in order. It was also Rosalie's 15th birthday in a week and I had a cake ordered that would keep if I could lock it in the deep freeze without anyone seeing.

I had heard from Emmett that Rosalie had never had a birthday party before so we were planning a surprise for the occasion. Everyone was in on it except for Alice because she would not be able to contain her excitement — she might be tempted to hint something to Rosalie. So I had some party essentials to gather as well. And any excuse to shop was fine by me. Carlisle teased me, but he didn't like to shop — someone had to do it!

When I was finally done making some phone calls, I baked some fresh bread sticks for dinner and prepared a salad dressing for a spinach salad. The pasta would not take long to prepare — I had the sauce pre-made as well and the noodles would only take a few minutes to cook.

I heard a loud squeal coming from outside on the front lawn and my instincts sent me to investigate. Thank goodness, no one was hurt — it was just Alice being tossed up in the air by Carlisle. She screamed again as he hung her over his shoulder and carried her toward the hammock.

"I can't believe you got me again! I think you need a time out — you shouldn't be able to get away with scaring your old man like that!" Carlisle told her in mock seriousness. He set her down in the center of the hammock and he tickled her sides. "I won't tolerate it anymore."

"Daddy!" Alice shrieked. "That tickles!" she squeaked as she tried to wriggle free.

"Are you going to do it again?" Carlisle inquired. He let up for a moment to give her a chance to respond. There was a short show down of will and then Alice giggled.

"Yes," she chortled.

Carlisle tsked her sympathetically and then smiled. He resumed tickling her until she begged him to stop.

"Okay," he told her, releasing her when he felt she had been 'punished' enough. "That should do the trick!" She scurried to her knees and tried to stand up — he helped her so she would not fall — and she leaped into his arms again.

"Mommy!" Alice called as she spotted me. It was nice that she sounded excited to see me — that never got old. I suppose I had been watching them quite obviously, though.

"Are you picking on your father again?" I asked.

"Yep!" She giggled and kissed his cheek, squeezing her arms around his neck so tightly he turned a little pink from holding his breath.

"Alice! Come here!" Jasper yelled out. "You have got to see this!"

And then, Alice was down and running off into the bushes to catch up with her brother. I didn't bother to ask them what they were up to — it was probably nothing clean and sensible, but I didn't want to know at this moment.

"Hey, good lookin'," Carlisle said as came up and kissed me. "What's cookin'?" He chuckled at himself for his rhyme. Quoting Hank Williams to me was just too corny for words. I giggled and kissed him back a few times.

Then he asked me seriously, "Do you need some help in there?"

"Mmm, no," I hummed. "Thank you. It is pretty much ready to go when the kids get back from the beach."

"They sure are having a good time together — those four," Carlisle stated, smiling out over the lake. Second beach was not visible from our property, but it was not too far away. I suppose he was just looking out to enjoy the scenery as he contemplated his thought. "It is nice that they are getting along better."

"Yes," I agreed, my mood a little dimmer than his. I had not wanted to bring it up, but my early concern about Emmett and Rosalie was nagging at me.

Carlisle knew me well enough to catch my hesitance. "What are you thinking, dear?"

"It is probably nothing..." He didn't speak, but his attention was on me and I continued, "...just that... Emmett and Rosalie have been getting on so well."

Carlisle didn't see the problem. His brow furrowed a bit, but then it straightened out and he smiled lightly, taking my hand. "That's good. Is it not?"

"Oh, of course it is, hon. I was just... surprised at how close they have become, that's all."

"True. I know they had a falling out a couple weeks back. Emmett was quite distraught and confused when she stopped speaking to him, but he didn't seem to want to talk about it so I let it go. I assumed it was just a misunderstanding... but they did get over that bump it looks like!"

"Most likely it was just a misunderstanding," I agreed. "And I'm glad they have worked it out now... I was just concerned about the motivation behind their little... feud." _Was I the world's lamest, most paranoid, mother or what? _

Carlisle was not on the same page — which surprised me a little bit.

"I am not too sure I understand what you are getting at," he admitted his confusion. "I know that Rosalie was going through a rough time when they had their rift; perhaps she is just coming into her own now and is ready to make friends. She has not spent a lot of time around kids her own age — not as siblings — she seems to be adjusting to the change now. I haven't heard her utter a harsh word all day to anyone."

"She is making great progress," I said softly, a smile creeping to my lips. I didn't want to be a downer. Perhaps, I was worrying needlessly over Emmett and Rosalie's sudden spark in friendship. After all, Edward and Bella were very good friends, but it had taken them a while to get over their differences.

"Mom! Dad!" Jasper called out. He hurried over, tugging Alice along with him — she was crying.

"Sweetie?" I reached out for her and crouched down to her level. Her little nose was red and her chin quivered as she cried softly.

"What happened?" Carlisle asked calmly, kneeling down as I had, to look her over, running his hands along her arms and then he turned her hands over to check for any scrapes or cuts. I could not see anything marring her skin. "Did you fall down? Did you get hurt?"

Alice shook her head. "N-n-no," she stammered. "I-I was j-just... and t-then..." She was not forming any clear sentences. I turned to Jasper for an explanation.

"I don't know happened," he told me and his father. "I wanted to show her this cool looking spider, but then she started crying!"

"Did it bite you?" Carlisle asked, cupping her face with his hands. He peered at her carefully determining if she was hurt or just scared. She shook her head and he checked her limbs again for any marks he might have missed. "I don't see anything, honey. Why are you crying? Did the spider scare you?"

"She thought it was cool too!" Jasper told me. "Then, a second later, she started to cry and she told me that we had to go help Rosalie... but she wouldn't say why."

Carlisle picked Alice up to console her. She buried her face into his neck as he rubbed her back, whispering to her words of comfort. She was still not ready to tell us what she was so troubled over.

Jasper looked traumatized. He was my sensitive, little guy — attuned to other people's moods. It often made him appear shy — but he was just very observant. I pulled him into me and wrapped my arm around him. "You did the right thing, darling," I told him. "Your father and I will take care of your sister. Why don't you-"

"No!" He stopped me. "I want to stay with Alice!" I could not have told him otherwise if I tried — he was determined not to leave her side. So I patted his arm a few times, but his attention never left his sister.

"I am going to take her inside," Carlisle's lips mouthed to me and his head motioned to the cabin. When he headed in that direction, Jasper followed, leaving me behind.

The sun was bright, shining off the lake water. I wanted to see if there was any sign of the kids out there, though it was a fruitless attempt. I held my hand to my brow to visor my eyes. Nothing changed — the scene was still and quiet.

_I had no reason to worry, did I?_

I tried not to let Alice's fret over Rosalie startled me too much. Alice had these little episodes — or waking nightmares — from time to time. We didn't understand them fully, but we did our best to handle them with care. She was so fragile when she was this scared, my baby girl. I hated to see her like this.

It had been a few minutes only, when I joined them, but Carlisle had Alice cuddled up against him on the sofa and she was very quiet. Jasper sat beside them, one hand on Alice's back, unmoving. She seemed to have calmed down and was just lying there, almost asleep.

"How is she?" I asked in a quiet voice.

"Much better now," Carlisle told me, he smiled proudly at his son. Then he reached with his free hand to ruffle Jasper's hair. "Thank you, son. You were a big help."

"Daddy?" Alice asked in a tiny voice.

"Yes, baby?"

"You're going to help Rosie if she is in trouble, right — if she gets hurt?"

"Of course I would help her if she were hurt," Carlisle replied without hesitation. He was a pro at this. "But she is not hurt, Alice. I know what you saw today in your mind seemed real, but she is safe with your brothers and sister and they will be home in just a little while for dinner."

"What if they're not?" Alice wanted to know. She lifted her head and gazed at her father with wide eyes. "What if the bad guys try to hurt her again?"

"That was a scary thing, Alice. I know it is hard to understand, but Rosalie is safe now. She and the others will all stick together and be home for dinner like they promised," Carlisle insisted so surely. I was glad to hear him say this too. I needed to be reassured that all my babies were going to return home to me.

Jasper looked like he might be in actual physical pain as well, with the look of confusion and distress written on his face. I couldn't blame him. This conversation was making me nauseous too. "Jasper, would you mind washing the picnic table and setting down the table cloth for me?" I asked him nicely, hiding my anxiousness.

Maybe it was wrong to shield him from this, but I thought it was for the best. Rosalie's past was not something a nine year old or an eleven year old should have to try to understand.

Jasper almost spoke back, but he was intuitive enough to realize there was no room for negotiation. As pained as he looked to leave Alice's side, he knew she was safe with Carlisle. He got up and did as I asked.

"What if Emmett can get to her fast enough this time?" Alice whispered faintly with her face buried deep in her father's chest.

Carlisle's face pinched as he gazed down on her and he kissed the top of her head. "They know to stick together, sweet-pea. And those teenage boys that she and Emmett encountered a month ago are long gone by now. Please don't worry."

"I want to see Rosie..." Alice whispered, "...to make sure."

"She'll be home soon, darling. Very soon," Carlisle cooed.

I tried to keep my composure. She might have been eavesdropping or perhaps she was just guessing, but Alice knew too much about Rosalie and it frightened me. The stress of it was getting to her it seemed, and I wished there was some way to reassure her that Rosalie was just fine, but it would have been a lie. It would probably be a long while before Rosalie would feel safe and loved in our home. She had a lot of past ghosts to overcome first.

I sat down next to Carlisle on the sofa and he graciously let me slide in to his side and he put his arm around me. I was feeling vulnerable and the only thing that would comfort me was to cuddle up closer to my husband and child. He stroked my hair with one hand as his other still smoothed over Alice's spine.

It would ease the guilt, at least — for now. Alice knew too much and I couldn't help feel like I had failed her as a mother... I should have protected her.

* * *

Alice went down for a nap because she was worn out from her episode — we didn't like to call them anxiety attacks because Carlisle wasn't convinced that she was simply suffering from a psychological disorder. It was something more than that… something bigger than us. Alice's eerie clairvoyance that was not always spot on, but she often was aware of things that she would not have known otherwise and I could not ignore that fact.

We had discussed it, Carlisle and I, and we decided that we would only turn to medication for Alice if she became so stressed that she could not function in her day to day activities. And Alice was a tough little cookie! We didn't believe it would ever have to come to medicating her symptoms. Who knew if it would even help her if we did? We would try anything else first! Usually, she could be calmed down by her father or me, and sometimes it took a sibling — Jasper was good at this — to bring her back to the present.

Carlisle, once assured that Alice was resting comfortably, went out to spend some time with Jasper. He was showing him how to start a fire properly in the pit so we could roast some corn over it for dinner. I was hoping that Jasper would enjoy his time alone with his father. They rarely got to spend time as just the two of them… not in a house with so many siblings. I caught a glimpse of them as I stood in the open door briefly.

Jasper was listening intently, enjoying himself, as Carlisle talked to him about fire safety and made him promise that he would not start any fires without he or I present to supervise.

"I promise!" Jasper agreed eagerly.

"Okay, then," Carlisle said, handing Jasper a matchbook. "Well, here you go. Light it up like I showed you, son. That's it… from underneath… good job. Stand back a little bit more. Good…"

I left them to their manly bonding and kept myself busy with laundry while waiting on the kids to return. And when the clothing was all folded and put away, I cleaned the bathroom and swept the floors — anything to keep occupied so I wouldn't go running out the door to go looking for my children. I knew it was silly to worry about them when they were all capable teenagers, responsible ones too. They would be home any minute.

Any minute now…

To Be Continued…

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_**Do you think Esme is**** the world's lamest, most paranoid, mother?** Hehee ;) **Does she have good reason to worry?** Esme asked herself those questions... **what do you think? **I really do enjoy writing Esme chapters. She is so thoughtful and maternal compared to the mind of Rosalie._

_*The next update will be in a week. I am planning Monday (August 16th), as usual, but my sister and nephew will be here visiting and we may or may not be going to the fair that day. So if it is not Monday it will be Sunday evening, I promise. :) Chapter previews for ch23 are available via review response, as usual. Thank you for all your patience waiting for updates. _

_**Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! **_

_Next Chapter- Rosalie is having a good time at Second Beach, until something happens that leaves Alice in tears and Rosalie struggling to do what's right.  
_


	23. Chapter 23 Angel

_Thank you to Catharticone and RandomSugarRush for their support. :) _

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight Saga Characters-they belong to Stephanie Meyer. The rest of this story is mine._

_

* * *

_**Thorns**

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

"I can't, Em! It will ruin my hair!" I squealed as he tried to pick me up and guide me to the take off point on the side of the hill.

Bella and I had opted to lie on towels on the sidelines and cheer them on so neither of us has actually used the rope swing yet. The boys had been swinging into the lake over and over again since we arrived at second beach! They stopped playing every once and a while to come sit by us, but they were not as comfortable sitting still as we were. It was a pretty spot, the lake was gorgeous and the rocks were apparently smooth under their feet, so we never had the beach to ourselves.

A few other kids had come by and Emmett and Edward had to take turns with the rope. It was fun to watch them switch off — especially if one missed the rope on its swing back to shore. Then one of them would have to swim out to get it back. They would whip it back at each other roughly, laughing when it hit the other hand, leaving red marks on their skin. Cue eye roll... Boys can be so immature!

"Just one time, Rose. You'll enjoy it!" Emmett told me, pouting out his lip like Alice would do. It was way cuter on Emmett's dimply face, though. "I will swing first and send you the rope back. All you have to do is catch it and then swing out to join me!"

I could feel myself slipping. I had this strange urge to try it, but I was still not sure if I wanted to get wet or not. I was an okay swimmer, but the lake was kind of deep...

"No way! You will hit me with the rope!" I complained to try one more excuse. Emmett shook his head and got up, still holding onto me.

"I will swing the rope back to you nicely. I promise."

"Come on, Rosalie!" Edward called to me from the bank. He held the rope in one hand, waiting for Emmett, who tugged me up and along with him in that direction.

I looked back at Bella, hoping she would maybe save me or beg me not to leave her, but the bitch looked amused. She had an excuse for not going in the water — first or all; it could be suicide for a girl with her luck to jump off a hillside. There was too much plight that could forsake her if she took a leap like that. Besides, she was still healing up those cuts on her hand and didn't want to risk infection.

I didn't want to go in because I would get wet and cold and then when I would complain or have to cuddle into Emmett for warmth, I would have to put up with Edward calling me a Princess.

I would usually tell Edward to 'suck rocks' when he told me to do something, but this time I let it slide and I listened to Emmett. "You'll have fun! Just try it!" he told me with a huge, pleading smile. I guess I believed him. I wanted to have some fun for a change.

And if it would make Emmett happy...

"Oh, fine!" I finally agreed as we reached the side of the hill, under a large oak tree. I was already there, anyhow.

"So..." Emmett hummed, looking me up and down. "I guess just do as I do. Make sure to let go whe-"

"Do I look simple, Em?" I asked rhetorically. "I'll figure it out!"

He smiled and leaned in to peck my cheek with a kiss. Edward's eyes darted away in every direction to avoid looking at us, though he knew what was going on. Emmett told Edward everything so he was just being a prude not to look. He and Bella were still trying to deny their feelings, but it was getting ridiculous.

"Hurry up and go, Blondie!" some kid yelled at us. His group of buddies all laughed and I flipped him the bird. It only made them coo and carry on with their theatrics.

I hated younger teen boys. And these pre-adolescent boys were all scrawny — not quite past that puberty stage — so they were starting to get hairy, but they had not grown into themselves yet so they kind of looked like Snow White's minions in street clothes. And they were obnoxious too! Drooling monkeys were less irritating.

Before I could tell him to fuck off, Emmett got my attention again.

"Just ignore them," he told me. "You still want to do this, right?"

I sighed and nodded, putting my irritation aside to ignore the yips and howls.

"You go first, Edward," Emmett told his brother who took a step back and then he hopped off into the air, holding the rope tightly with two hands. He swung out over the water and right before the momentum left him, he let go and continued to fly into the lake with a splash. The childish boys behind me booed and hissed at him.

Then a few of them started whistling at me and saying things like, "Jump, Blondie! Jump!" and, "Ya, I wanna see what she looks like wet!"

"Shut the hell up, you little dweebs," I snapped at them. It only made them laugh more and I was losing my patience with them.

The rope came back and Emmett caught it with ease and he turned to me and touched my arm and whispered, "They aren't worth it, Rose. Just enjoy yourself."

"But they are being so... so..."

Emmett nodded and said, "I know... but they are young and stupid and they are not used to meeting such pretty girls like you, Rose. And you look so damn hot in that bikini; I can't really blame them..."

I was still a bit annoyed, but that did make me feel a bit better. And that was Emmett's way of giving me a compliment so I took it and tried to block out the noise from behind me.

Emmett continued in a much louder voice this time, "...but if they don't give up soon I might have to introduce them to your boyfriend!" He glanced at the kids and raised a fist. His muscles rippled in his stomach, chest and arm as he showed it to them. "And _he_ can get pretty violent when his girl is threatened!"

I was not the swooning type, but if I was I would have fainted right then when he called me his girl. We had not really discussed our status, but boyfriend had a nice ring to it. I longed to test it out loud, but now was not the time.

The boys shut up, but they were still kind of giggling. Group mentality was a sick thing! If it was just one or two of them they would have pissed themselves at the sight of Emmett's giant fist. I had seen firsthand what he could do with just one punch. He had protected me once before from other lowlifes!

"Get ready to catch the rope, okay?" Emmett reminded me before he took a running leap off the slope. He did the same as Edward, but his splash was twice the size.

I had absolutely no trouble catching the swing when it came to me. I didn't wait long. I wanted to be close to Em in the water so I held the rope and took off, swinging swiftly over the water — it went really fast, but it was really fun and I almost forgot to let go. Thank goodness Emmett was below me and he called out, "Now, Rose!" and I listened.

The water was shockingly cool, but it was not unbearable. In fact, as I came to the surface and wiped the water from my eyes, I was smiling. Emmett was there, his strong hands holding me in front of him.

"Nice one!" he told me.

"That was so much fun!" I told him and I hugged him tightly as he swam me back to the shore. "Let's do it again!"

Emmett's laugh almost echoed off the lake and the surrounding mountains. We were having a lot of fun and I was just about to climb up the slope when there was a splash beside me in the water that didn't match our movement. And then another... And then...

"Ouch!" I yelped, grabbing my neck where a sudden pain hit me. "Damn it!" I swore. It really hurt. And there were a few more splashes and I realized rocks were being thrown at us from afar. One landed on the shore that was quite big and angular. Those kids were evil!

"Get back here you little shitheads!" Emmett roared, trying to get a steadier footing coming out of the rocky water. He nearly fell over in his rage. But by the time he was out of the water, the boys were out of sight. All of them had run away. Edward had pelted a few of them with a couple of rocks in retaliation, but he was not about to chase them down — or let Emmett go after them either.

"Let them go, Em."

"They hurt her!" Emmett looked from me, to the tree line, and then he sighed and came back to lend me his hand to help me out of the water. "Rose? Do you want me to go after them? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Em," I croaked, still wincing at the throb along my collar bone where a rock had hit me quite sharply. I took his hand and hobbled to the shore, not letting go of the sore spot. It still hurt.

"Let me see," Edward demanded as Emmett helped me to shore. Bella was hovering nearby now too, but when she saw me she covered her mouth and turned away. Edward was still curiously attentive. "Is it your shoulder or your clavicle? If it is broken, you shouldn't move it..."

"Leave me alone, Edward!" I told him breathlessly, pushing by him. He was worse than his father — mostly because he wanted to go to medical school after college and become a surgeon_, like_ his father. That is what Bella had told me when she was blathering away to me about her darling Edward one evening. This family was too weird sometimes...

"We should go home, you guys," Bella shared. "It is almost dinnertime already. I lost track of the time."

Emmett, and to his credit, Edward, helped me up the hillside so we could gather up our things. The pain had subsided now, except for a dull ache along my collar bone where it was tender to the touch. I was going to have a bruise. I could tell without looking at it.

We packed up and started back to the cabin. I guess there was a tiny cut or scrape there because Bella couldn't look at me the whole way home – she was stupidly squeamish — and when Emmett found out I was bleeding he nearly ran back to track down those boys. He was so enraged that they had hurt me. Edward, Bella and I talked him out of it.

We were late as it was and I didn't want to be the reason for causing Emmett to get into another fight. The Cullens had been pretty great about keeping their promises and I was trying to believe they would follow through with the adoption that they had proposed, but if I caused too much trouble for them they might still change their mind.

* * *

When we arrived back at the cabin after a short walk, there was a fire going and the food was cooking. It smelled really great and I was looking forward to getting into dry cloths and sitting near the warmth for a while. It was pretty obvious that we were in trouble for being a bit late, but Esme looked like she might cry or something. Talk about a guilt trip!

"You're late!"

"Sorry, Ma," Emmett apologized. "We lost track of time and there were these boys-"

"You can't do that us! We were worried — I was worried something had happened! When I set a time for you to be back by, you have to be back before or at that time. Before is better! There is no excuse for being late. Ever!" Esme was mid rant; her eyes took turns staring each one of us down. She stopped when it was my turn. "It was... Oh, good gracious, my dear! What happened?" Her tone softened and she began to fuss over me when she spotted my injury.

"Nothing," I said as she touched my arm and with her other hand she moved some of my hair off my shoulder. I didn't even hurt anymore.

"A group of boys were throwing rocks at her," Edward shared. "Actually, I think they were aiming for Emmett since he was the one who told them off for making lewd comments about Rosalie, but-"

I gave Edward a stern glare to tell him to shut up. I was the cause of too much drama as it was — and I had been injured more times this summer than I had in my whole life. They probably didn't want to have two Bella's in one family. I shuddered at the thought.

"Oh, you poor thing," Esme cooed, turning all sappy on me. She seemed really upset now, with glassy eyes as she gently hugged me and whispered that she was sorry. I wished she wouldn't do that. It was just some freak accident. No one could have seen this one coming...

"Rose-ieeeeeee!" Alice came running off the porch and into my middle with a slam! "I thought you were dead! Are you okay? Does it hurt?" She didn't shut up to let me answer. I didn't mean to be rude, but I tried to pry her from my waist. She was like a flea!

"I saw you get hurt — by those guys! I was so scared! Did they hit you? How did you get away? Was Emmett there to save you?" Alice carried on, even when I got her off me. She leaned into my arms that held her off, desperate to come back and cling some more.

"Jesus Christ, Alice! Back off, will ya? I'm fine!" I told her impatiently. She didn't listen and her eyes went to the bruise on my collar and her face was stricken with what looked like fear or something... It was so strange how much she was overreacting.

"You're bleeding!" she gasped. "Oh, my God! Daddy? Daddy?"

She was panicked and hyper — like she was possessed or something. I hushed her repeatedly and told her that I was okay, but she wouldn't give up and until Carlisle was at my side to "help make me better," as she demanded. When he first touched me I winced — his hands were cold for some reason — and that made Alice even more frantic. I guess she thought I was in pain.

Alice was so upset that she started to cry as if someone had just shot a puppy in front of her. It was a real gong show! I had never made anyone cry like that before. I was confused about her oddball reaction. I didn't know what to do or say to make her simmer down. I had this thought to slap her — like they do to in the movies — but that might not have gone over well with Carlisle or Esme standing right there.

"Sweetheart, please try to calm yourself. Rosalie is going to be alright," Carlisle did his best to silence her.

"Seriously, Alice... it doesn't even hurt," I told her, trying to sound convincing, but she was starting to freak me out. I sounded squeaky and unsure of myself. I gave Carlisle a shrug as he took a closer look at my shoulder blade. "It's no big deal," I insisted.

"Is this the only place you were hit?" Carlisle asked me.

"Ya. That's it."

Alice was sniffling loudly now, but at least she was quiet and not so shrill. Esme swooped in to sooth her, but neither left my side.

Carlisle's fingers probed along the length of my clavicle softly before he smiled and nodded at me pleasantly. "The wound is superficial. It will leave a bruise for a couple days," he said pleasantly. "And the laceration is minor. It should heal up nicely on its own too."

"Tell her that!" I snapped, not meaning to sound like a jerk. But Alice was still clinging to my arm with a tight fist and I was not the coddling type. I didn't know what to do to make her feel better. _That was a parent's job, right?_

Carlisle was already on it, crouching down to her level to try to get her attention away from me.

"Alice, honey, please calm down. There is no reason to worry. Rosalie is going to be fine," Carlisle told her.

I hoped she would listen to him at least. I don't know why, but I felt guilty for making Alice cry. I didn't understand why she cared so much. I had been quite nasty to her over the last few months. She was just as ridiculously forgiving as her father!

"But there's blood there," Alice whimpered, pointing to the front of my pale bikini top. I hadn't even noticed, but it was stained a bit when I glanced down to check.

"It's a small cut — and it has stopped bleeding all on its own," he told her in an upbeat sort of tone. "She'll be feeling better in no time."

"Are y-you sure?"

"I'm positive." Carlisle cupped one of her cheeks with his hand and he stroked her hair from her damp face with the other. "She's not in any danger, Alice."

Then Carlisle turned to me and said, "Rosalie is going to wash up and then she can rest with an ice pack for a few minutes until dinner. That will help, right Rose? Would you like some ice for your shoulder blade?"

It was unnecessary, and Esme must have known I would try to refuse it. She hand came from behind and touched my back, asking me to go along with it. "Come dear. I will get you some ice while you go change out of your suit."

Carlisle smiled graciously at me, as if he too, was asking me for a favour. I was sure that it was not just for Alice's benefit that I was being fussed over a bit. Some ice would probably feel nice on the dull ache in my collar anyway. I nodded and gave a half smile before turning away.

I followed Esme inside and left the all the crazy behind with Carlisle.

* * *

I cleaned up and washed the invisible lake goo out of my hair. Emmett and Edward didn't think so, but I couldn't help but think there would be tons of drowned bugs in the lake, so I had to wash out my hair every time. They sometimes didn't even shower before bed. Boys can be so gross.

Esme helped me comb my hair so I could hold the ice pack. She didn't explain it to me in detail, but Esme told me what happened when we were gone — about Alice's dream that had her worried I might get hurt. I guess she had worked herself into a state of tears even before we had come back. I wasn't sure what to say to this share. Honestly, it freaked me out. Esme could see that.

"She just got a bit spooked when she saw you got hurt, honey. She'll come around once the memory fades a bit and she can see that you're feeling better."

"I feel okay now," I confirmed for the tenth time already.

"I am glad," she said with a smile and she put the comb down on the counter. Her hands ran through my hair a couple of times. "You have such beautiful hair. Would you like me to braid it back out of your way?"

I shook my head. "No," I replied quickly — and perhaps a bit too blunt. "It would leave kinks."

She smiled and let my hair go. "Oh, yes. Of course. Well, then I suppose my work here is done then," she hummed. "Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes."

"Okay," I mumbled as she glided out of the bathroom ahead of me. I brushed on some mascara and painted on some lip gloss and I followed shortly after.

Everyone was outside around the BBQ and picnic table it looked like — except for Carlisle and Alice who were quietly seated at the sofa. I was about to carry on walking out the door so I could meet up with Emmett again, but something made me stop. It was stupid, but I felt like I should go check to see if Alice was okay. I didn't know why it mattered, but it did.

I dropped the ice pack down on the table quietly. Then I zipped my hoodie up higher than I ever had it before — unless I was cold or something it had no reason to be up to my neck — and I walked steadily around the sofa and stood at one end. Carlisle smiled up at me.

"Rosalie," he greeted softly. "Feeling better, my dear?" It was still a charade in a way, he was not only asking for my benefit. I could tell he was trying to alert Alice, who was cuddled up to his side with her face in his shirt, to my presence. It worked too — she peeked up at me with one eye.

"Yes," I replied, "much better. I was just-" I paused and tried to think of what it was I had planned to do or say. I really had no plan. I had thought that it was the right thing to do. It is what they would have wanted me to do — Esme and Carlisle, I mean. But...

_What was I doing? _This being nice thing was new to me. I cringed a bit at how long it was taking me to say something else.

"You know what? It is a good thing you are done with your shower, Rose," Carlisle said, shifting slightly to get up. "Alice is not feeling like being with the others right now, but I have to get out there and finish cooking the corn with the boys. Maybe you two can keep each other company until dinner is ready?"

"Um..." I hummed as he patted Alice's hair lovingly and stood up. She looked like a tiny speck on the spot he had left unoccupied.

"Thank you, Rose. You could probably use some quiet time yourself. Please, have a seat and relax," Carlisle encouraged as he slipped by me, rubbing my arm as he went.

I didn't really have a choice. I couldn't just let her sit there all by herself. So, I moved in, sighed and sat down in the place Carlisle had left. It was still warm. Before I could even lean back, Alice was scrunched up to me with her head on my arm, her own arms were tangled around me like she was afraid I might change my mind and leave her.

"Uh... Alice?"

I was not good with little kids. And Alice was one weird little kid!

She didn't say anything at first. So I just sat stiffly, trying to decide what to say to her. Finally, I said, "I'm really fine, Alice. I don't know what has gotten into you, but you need to snap out of it!"

Oh dear, that might have been the wrong thing to say. She gazed up at me and said nothing. "Please don't cry again," I begged of her. "You're just creeping me out, that's all. I don't know what else to tell you."

"I thought you might die..." Alice whispered, ducking her head down. She wasn't normally so shy, but I can see how telling someone that you thought of them as dead would be a bit embarrassing.

"From being hit with a rock? Alice... Get a life!"

"It was worse in my head!" Alice told me with a bit more confidence, her nose up in the air. It was nice to see her feisty side again, standing up for herself, at least.

"Well, I am sorry about that," I told her bluntly. "But get a grip, get over it, and just go play or something. You're freaking everyone out."

I was definitely not good with kids — that was a fact. I won't pretend to have any maternal instincts in me. No, I would not be a good mother. Esme was a good mother — she would know what to do to make Alice feel better. Surely, this was her place, not mine, to cheer Alice up.

But Esme wasn't around. She was outside with her other four kids and husband and I was stuck dealing with crazy! Alice actually did seem hurt by what I had said. The way her chin shook told me I had been too straight forward with her. I floundered for something nice to say — but I don't do nice so that was harder than it sounds.

_What would Esme do?_

I did the only thing I could think of. "Alice, I need your help, okay?" I started. Her ears practically perked up just with that alone. "Uh... Well, I — I could do it myself, but I can't reach very well. Would you mind..." – _Oh, God! What was wrong with me? – _"... braiding my hair for me?"

The way her face started to lift told me I had done something right at least.

"Really?" she asked hesitantly. "You don't like braids in your hair. You said they make it kinky."

I almost backed out of it when she reminded me of how hideous the eighties crimp fad was. However, the spark was back — in her eyes at least — as she waited for me to speak.

"I want it out of my way and..." I took a moment to gulp back my pride. "...you braid quite nicely — for a nine-year-old, at least!" _ Be nice. _I repeated that to myself in my head a few times.

She smiled a bit. "Ya? You think so?"

"Yes," I breathed impatiently. Handing out complements physically hurt me, I swear. "So do you want to help me or not?"

Alice nodded eagerly and she crawled out of her little ball and up onto the back of the sofa. I leaned forward for her and let her go at my hair with not so much as a moan until the fourth of fifth time she pulled too hard and I couldn't control my mouth any longer.

"Ow!" I yelped. "For f- uh... Pete's sake! I'm not one of your dolls, Alice. Go easy!"

She giggled. She was feeling better it sounded like.

"You are so much better than my dolls! You are prettier and your hair smells like flowers," she sang.

"And I can feel my scalp too! Remember that, please... Are you almost done?"

"Almost. Do you have an elastic?" she asked merrily, holding out a palm over my shoulder.

Oh, no! I had forgotten about that. Stupid me!

"No..." I moaned lowly. I could sense this being an issue. She would not just leave it at that.

She bounded over the sofa and screamed out as she went toward the bathroom. "Be right back. I am going to get my pink elastics so I can do _two_ French braids!"

I sank back and felt the braid loosen and knew she would insist on starting over when she returned. I couldn't believe all that was for nothing! I knew she was happy now, but I this was torture. I shut my eyes and clapped my hands over my face and groaned. Then I flopped my hands down beside me and rested my head on the back of the sofa cushion. I was tired now — being nice was hard work.

I felt something soft brush my hair and I opened my eyes to see a glowing Esme above me. She leaned over me from behind the sofa and cupped my head then kissed my forehead three times.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"It — I was just-"

"You're an angel. That's what you are," she told me without one ounce of insincerity. She repeated it again even... "Such a beautiful angel."

Well, that was a first! I had been called a lot of things, but never an angel. I kind of liked the sound of it, though. It was better than the alternative.

To Be Continued...

* * *

_**What do you think? **_

_Coming up Next- Rosalie is making efforts to be a part of the family, but it is a new concept for her and she can't help falling into old traps at the end of the day.**  
**_

_**Thank you for reading and reviewing! **_

*Previews are available for chapter 24 via review response, as usual. :)_** An anonymous reviewer asked how they could see the preview. Well...I guess I can post a preview on my DeviantArt Journal (link on my profile) when I send out the previews. Would that be something any of you might be interested in?  
**_

_Next update will be Monday, August 23rd. _


	24. Chapter 24 Just a Prick

_Thank you to Catharticone and RandomSugarRush for their continuous support and friendship! _

_Disclaimer: The Twilight Saga Characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. _

_

* * *

_**Thorns**

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

August 12th, 2009, Wednesday

I woke up feeling wonderful. I was warm and snuggled like a burrito in a soft pink blanket that Esme had given it to me that day when I had panicked myself into exhaustion coming from home from seeing Dr Beytell. I was quite fond of the nice pink velour material and Esme told me that I could have it. Just like that — just because I liked it! A blanket shouldn't make me so happy, but this one did. It felt amazing wrapped around me. I had not slept so well in years.

Well, since Vera…

I had packed away the grubby blanket she had made me — even though it reminded me of Henry, I had to let them both go now. I had a new chance for happiness. And I was going to try my best to take that chance and not let anything get in the way. I was starting to think the Cullens were the right people for me. It was not what I had ever hoped for — to be a part of a large family — but it had its benefits. Emmett being number one on that list!

Every day I got a bit more confident with the Cullens. That was not always a good thing because I wouldn't censor my words as much when I was feeling so comfortable. Believe it or not — I had been fairy clean mouthed this summer. Try to tell them that, though! Carlisle was getting a twitch from biting his tongue so hard each time I said anything, "unladylike."

He had warned me some time ago that he was going to add up a minute for each swear I said and that would be the time I owed he and Esme on the weekends when they needed some extra help around the house. And last weekend they actually made me babysit Alice and Jasper by the lake for twenty-four minutes because they were making lunch and the little kids needed someone to watch them.

_Well, fuck!_ I doubt I swore twenty-seven times in one week — they totally fudged that number! I was going to keep count now too, just to be sure.

However, I did what they told me to do when they told me to do it — for the most part. I wasn't happy about it, but I had no choice. I didn't want to leave their home. These were their rules and Emmett had seven minutes added up this week too so it was not just me they set the rule for. I decided there was no point in arguing with them anyway. They weren't like other parents. If I screamed at them they would just hug me... They were weird people.

Yet, I was happy here.

I didn't mind the sun that was streaming in and hitting my face as I slept in. Normally, I would be pissed off that someone had the nerve to leave the blinds open, but the sun felt amazing on my cheek and the light didn't bother me this morning. I was ready to wake up. I had a reason…

I sat up swiftly and wriggled my arms loose and stretched them up to the ceiling as I yawned. I heard a ruffle and looked over to find that Miss Goody Two-shoes was still in bed across from me. Usually, she was up at the crack of daylight to do chores or help Esme in the kitchen. She was an aspiring Martha Stewart.

_I wonder why she is still in bed…_

Well, I was not going to make a huge effort to be quiet. It was not that early. Alice was gone and there was noise outside of a ball hitting a goal post so I knew the boys were up too. There was clinking coming from the kitchen as well, so food was ready or on the way to being ready. It was time to get up, I figured. I turned on the light and pulled open my drawers to find an outfit.

Bella gave a soft, throaty moan and she pulled the covers up over her head.

"What's with you?" I asked with a scoffed laugh. "Shouldn't you be out there kissing someone's ass by now? I'm hungry… Why don't you go me make some breakfast?" I giggled at the thought of her slaving away in the kitchen to make me an egg white omelet. She made a decent omelet, I had to admit.

I was teasing, but she didn't even make an attempt to send me a dirty look so I knew something was bugging her. She was too damn sensitive!

"Hey!" I said as I approached her bed and nudged it with my knee. "You aren't still ticked about the fairy comment are you? 'Cause I know that Edward is straight, Bella. I was just bugging him the other day…"

"Nooo," she moaned. "Go… away."

I huffed and pulled the quilt off her head and cringed. "Ugh! You look terrible."

"I feel terrible," she mumbled back, trying to find the blanket again.

"Well… what's wrong with you?"

"I dunno," she whispered, closing her eyes and curling up on her side with her hand under her head to cup her ear. "I have an earache, I guess…"

She had the worst luck. She had gone swimming for the first time yesterday since she had hurt her hand and now she had an earache. That was Bella in a nutshell — wimpiest person on the planet. At least she didn't go crying to mommy and daddy all the time. I had to appreciate that she wasn't looking for attention. I think she was rather embarrassed actually, so I tried to cut her a bit of slack.

I sighed. "You probably have an ear infection," I told her. She nodded feebly.

"I get them sometimes," she agreed.

"Well, you can't just lie there and hope to die. I will go get your dad," I said with exasperation. She didn't argue, though she seemed annoyed at the idea. She pulled the covers up around her head and winced.

I left to do what I promised. Someone had to out the poor old thing out of her misery. I was not as cruel as some would believe.

"Good morning!" Alice greeted me loudly, jumping out in front of me as soon as I stepped out of the bedroom. I swear she waits around corners to pounce at people like that. It was aggravating, but I was getting on to her so it didn't startle me like it once did.

"Sure. Sure. You too," I said impatiently, looking for Carlisle. "I'm busy, Alice. Bug off, will ya?" I wasn't mean about it. It was fact. She knew I meant no harm. If she was not having insane nightmares about me dying, or whatever, Alice was actually easy enough to get along with.

"Okay, Rosie!" she sang and she flew out the door into the yard ahead of me.

I found the boys outside with hockey sticks and full helmets on. It was a foam ball they used to hit around instead of a real puck, but still — Emmett could whack that thing hard enough to cause welts on his brothers if he used all his strength. Esme forbid him from doing that, though, so he was being super careful. He actually looked bored out there... Until he spotted me!

"Rose! Hey, Rose is awake!" he announced too excitedly.

I smiled at him and then gave Edward and Jasper a nod to each to keep things even, not wanting to be too obvious. Esme and Carlisle were still clueless about us and we made a pact to keep it that way. Bella and Edward knew their secret was only safe if ours was.

"Where's your dad?" I asked him.

"Right here," Carlisle said, coming around the house with the foam ball in hand. "What can I do for you, sweetie?"

"Bella needs you," I said blandly. "She looks like death warmed up in there." I pointed with my thumb over my shoulder back towards the cabin. I didn't mean to make a face, but I could still see her sticky, warm face with stringy, sweaty hair clung to her cheek. It was not a pretty picture. "Something about her ear..."

"Again?" Edward blurted out. His shoulder's sagged. He was such a fool. He was probably worried he was at fault for encouraging her to go canoeing with him yesterday. Bella was not the most synchronized and, of course, she fell overboard.

"Oh, dear," Carlisle sighed, disappointed with the news, but not overly distraught — not like his son Edward who seemed to have lost his will to live all of a sudden. I shrugged. I thought they'd be used to Bella by now.

Carlisle tossed the ball over to Jasper and came toward the house. "I appreciate you coming to get me. It was good of you," he thanked me with a pat on the back as he went around me and into the cabin.

"Ya. Whatever," I mumbled, not sure how to respond. It did feel kind of nice to be 'good,' though.

Edward's face had fallen — as predicted. Emmett would be just the same if I were sick, I hope. I was pretty sure of it. Well, maybe not quite so forlorn. Edward was just sensitive — like Bella. They deserved each other.

He came over and asked discretely, "Is she okay?"

"I don't know, Edward. I'm sure she'll live!" _Good grief! It was a bloody ear ache!_ "Why don't you go see for yourself?"

"Breakfast! Come to the table, please," Esme called out, sticking her head to the screen of the kitchen window and waving at us to come inside. I saw her eye my sleep wear, but she didn't say anything. She has asked me to wear more to the table, but this morning I had not planned on Bella being so disgusting. I didn't feel like going back to change so I decided to see if I could get away with the ensemble I had on — shorts and sports bra.

I folded my arms around my middle and waited as Edward went inside, followed by Jasper and Alice. Then Emmett came up and smirked at me as we went in together and found seats next to each other. It was easier to keep in touch that way, but not be seen touching.

We sat down and started passing around the juice, holding off on eating until Carlisle returned. Esme sighed when she saw what I was wearing, but Carlisle returned and took her focus. She didn't even speak when he joined us, but she looked up at him questioningly. He smiled and shook his head.

"She says she is not hungry," Carlisle answered her silent question.

"No. I don't blame her," Esme replied with a sigh. "Third time this year… How is she feeling?"

"I've given her some Tylenol for the pain. She's going to rest for a few more minutes and then get dressed so I can take her into town to see Shelley for some antibiotics."

"I'll call Shelley to let her know you are bringing her in." And Esme left the table and picked up the phone. "Don't wait for me. Go ahead and eat," she told everyone. She was always the last one left eating — every time.

Regardless, we all dug in and served the fruit salad and toast. Alice stuffed two strawberries in her mouth and looked like a chipmunk trying to chew that much at one time. Carlisle tapped her shoulder lightly and whispered to her to take smaller mouthfuls. She grinned and nodded, but she couldn't speak, thank God. That was the blessing to her eating so much — she was quieter when her mouth was full!

Emmett's left foot was all over my right as we both ate our meals quietly. He was grinning like an idiot, but no one seemed to think anything of it. He was a pretty happy guy, I guess, so it was not out of the norm.

"Mm," Carlisle hummed to get Esme's attention as she was just finishing speaking with Dr Beytell, who appeared to be free pretty much all day since there was not trouble getting an appointment at such short notice. Carlisle, wiping his mouth and swallowing before he spoke, said, "See if she has time to see Rose as well, hon."

"What? Why?" I inquired, nearly choking on a bite of banana. Good thing it was squishy.

Esme did as Carlisle had requested and continued to talk pleasantly over the phone to the doctor. Then Carlisle calmly told me that it was a good idea to have a follow up with Dr Beytell since my last appointment. He informed me that there were other vaccines I needed before the school year started so I might as well get them over with now.

_Oh, yay!_

He also mumbled something about the school administration being at fault for letting me slip by without these vaccinations. I thought at first he called them, "asses," under his breath, but it was something to do with being registered for classes without proper documentation. I wish he would have said, "Ass," out loud so I could call him a hypocrite, but he was fairly even tempered and polite. It was like he was more self-evolved than other men.

I relaxed and sunk back in my seat as his ramble finally came to an end. There was no way out of it anyway. Esme was off the phone the next instant, thanking Dr Beytell before she hung up. It was decided that Carlisle was going to take Bella, Alice, and I with him into town — Alice begged to come along for some reason — and the boys would stay behind with Esme.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Emmett asked, leaning in behind my ear when the others were busy chatting away and cleaning up. I found that happy place again, appreciating his thought, and I stroked my toes up and down his calf.

"No, that's okay. You stay here and have a good time with your brothers," I told him. I knew that he and Edward had promised Jasper not to leave him out today — since they had been spending so much time with Bella and me lately. Jasper liked his little sister, but obviously he needed 'boy time' with his brothers too. Alice was a lot to handle for any one. Jasper was an inspiration, really — for putting up with her manic tendencies on a daily basis. He must have some kind of power over her too… She was somehow calmer when she was in his presence.

"Excuse me!" Alice interrupted my moment with Emmett. She pushed her way between us to get our plates from the table.

_What a pain in the ass! _I heaved a sigh and put my foot out in her way to kick her or trip her a little bit — just because.

"Thank you!" She sang out the words as she hoped over my foot without a glance downward and hurried around collecting more dishes. Emmett tried to suppress a chuckle, but he failed and I slapped his leg.

"Hey!" I scolded.

"With Alice… You can't really win," he told me with an amused grin.

"Whatever," I conceded. I felt Esme's gaze upon me and knew it was time to move along before she made a comment at me. "I'd better go get dressed."

* * *

An hour later we arrived in town at Dr Beytell's. She was very welcoming, accepting one of Alice's cling-on hugs that never seem to end. They had their short, "How are you?", "I'm good," chatter and I was glad that Alice was there to distract everyone from me. I hoped that I would be able to avoid commenting on my freak out two weeks ago in this very lobby. I know they told me I had every right to be upset, but it was still very embarrassing.

After the doctor finished greeting us, she tended to Bella first — who really needed some serious drugs, to be honest. She was stoic, but the pain was all over her face as she tried to shrug it off as, "not so bad."

I guess this was routine for Bella. The light jokes Carlisle and Dr Beytell made around the situation didn't help. She still looked like she was ready for death the way her face pinched whenever her ear ached.

"Let's go take a quick peek to be sure this is an infection and then I will get you on those antibiotics right away, sweetie," Dr Beytell told Bella as they left us in the waiting room.

Alice bounced around a bit as we waited. She asked Carlisle, twice now, how much longer it would be. And Bella had only been in there for a few minutes! Carlisle looked tired, but he smiled through it and never got impatient with Alice in return. I mean, I would have been tempted to shove her across the room. But he just told her, "Not much longer, pumpkin," each time she asked.

I couldn't imagine having so many kids like they did. It was a complete mystery to me why they seemed determined to take on my burden. They had enough trouble of their own. I knew I was not as good as they deserved. I wished I could be, but it was just too hard to be that nice all the time.

Bella came out not too much later, with a red sucker in her hand, but she barely had a grip on it. Dr Beytell smiled and handed over a paper bag with the antibiotics in it to Carlisle and pretty much confirmed what we already knew about her ear ache. Bella slumped down in a chair and Alice curled up next to her, surprisingly gentle compared to her hyper active state she was a few seconds earlier, and I followed Dr Beytell back to one of the exam rooms.

"Hop up, kiddo," she told me, patting the table. I cringed at the term, 'kiddo,' as well as the sound of the paper crunching under me as I did as she told me. It was just so awkward.

"How are you feeling today?"

"Okay..."

"Just okay?" she asked softly, sympathetically, as if I was hiding something. She looked up from what looked like not one, but two syringes, which she had set aside. She waited for me to respond.

I nodded quickly. "No. I mean... I'm good… I guess?" I didn't mean for that to be a question.

"I am glad you are feeling better this week. You look well." She quickly wrote something down and then she came over to me.

"Ya… I feel better," I sighed, more at ease all of a sudden. That was something, at least.

She smiled at me as she pulled out that cuff thingy and reached for my arm.

" And no side effects from the injection a few weeks ago?" she inquired as she blew up the cuff around my arm.

I gave a half shrug and shook my head, not really knowing what the side effects would have been. _Could it have caused the major panic attack, nausea, and fainting spell that I went through?_ I was tempted to tell her that I had a terrible reaction to the last shot in hopes to get out of this one, but I was fairly sure that had all been my own doing — it was a mental thing.

She didn't say anything for a few moments as she listened for whatever it was she was hearing in my arm and then she smiled faintly and removed her stethoscope from her ears and undid the Velcro cuff. "You're blood pressure is much lower today, dear. That's good," she told me.

I didn't know what to say… _Thanks?_ It didn't seem right so I didn't say anything at all.

"How are things at home since you've spoken with Carlisle and Esme?"

I wanted to hide. I was not good at talking about feelings. But there was no way out and she didn't mean any harm. She was just doing her job, I reminded myself.

"Have you been able to talk with Esme about everything?"

_Oh, why wouldn't she just leave it be? She needed me to elaborate, for fuck's sake?_

"Ya. Things are fine. I mean… she said it was not my fault and she was okay with everything that… that happened. They asked me if I wanted to stay with them for a while longer."

"Of course," Dr Beytell agreed. "The Cullen's are a dear family. Carlisle is one of the best guys out there. I've known him since med school. And Esme is just as lovely. You will be well taken care of and loved in their home."

I nodded slowly, my lips sealed firmly. I loved the sound of that. It was too scary for words. I wanted it so badly I could almost taste it! A home — at last! As much as I hated to concede this fact, I did like the idea of belonging to a family.

"Is there anything else you would like to talk to me about today, Rosalie? Do you have any questions?"

I shook my head and then made sure to politely say, "No, thank you."

To this, she smiled. But she sighed and pulled a tray with the two syringes on it a bit closer and said, "Well, then there is just this one more thing to get through and you are free to go."

I sucked up my fear and looked the other way as she dabbed my arm clean. Carlisle was right, I knew from the last time that it was not as bad as it looked, but it was hard to remember anything but the apprehension leading up. I sucked in a breath and silently dealt with the slight prick and pressure that I felt. There were two pokes — one after the other — but she was fast about it so it didn't take any longer.

"And…" she hummed as she placed a small patch over my arm and pressed it down. "…you're all done!" She backed away, tidying up a bit. She took off her gloves and threw them away, rinsing her hands in a basin. Then she wrote something in my file and closed it. "You're free to go, sweetie."

I hopped down and she pulled open a draw and something crinkled in her hand as she handed it to me. "One for you and give one to Alice," she told me.

"Oh!" It was two lollypops — one orange and one yellow. I only took the orange one for Alice. "Just one for Alice," I told her shaking my head, refusing to take the other. I wouldn't eat it anyway.

"Do you want a red one? Or there is green too?" she asked, confused by my action, ready to go back to get me a different one._ I wasn't a five-year-old!_

"I don't eat candy," I told her truthfully, looking to the closed door, just aching to leave already.

"Well, then…" she spoke slowly, her face surveying me like I had told her I don't speak English. "…You take both for Alice. She probably doesn't need any more energy, but she does love candy, if my memory serves me correctly. She'd appreciate the extra."

"Sure," I agreed and took both. And then she reached for the door and let me out.

I headed back to the lobby and found Alice sitting there, happily sucking on the candy Bella must have given her. Bella was sitting there, looking desperate to leave — a feeling we both shared this time. Dr Beytell was nice, but it was not fun talking to a stranger who knew everything about you that you despise.

"You little rascal," Dr Beytell teased Alice. "You weren't even a patient of mine today and look who made out with all the rewards!"

"I'm the support team!" Alice exclaimed cheerfully, pulling the red candy out of her stained mouth. She beamed proudly and extended her other hand to me to receive more candy. It dawned on me why she wanted to come in the first place. I could see how she would like Dr Beytell. Free candy, even if she was not sick at all.

I passed Alice two more lollypops.

"For later," Carlisle told her with a raised eye brow, letting her know not to overdo it.

Alice shoved them in her pocket and giggled merrily.

Dr Beytell wished Bella a fast recovery and told us to come see her again any time — even if it was just for lollypops and a visit. She teased to Carlisle about my admission to not eating candy and Carlisle shrugged. "If only Alice were that easy to convince," he told her.

Then Carlisle gave me the keys, which was shocking because I didn't know he had that much faith in me not to just drive away. But I guess he knew I was not ready to leave — that made me want to show him I could handle the responsibility of getting everyone in the car with the doors locked like he told me to do. He said he would be right along after his chat with Dr Beytell.

* * *

We had only been sitting in the car for a minute, if that, when a rap on the window made me jump. At first I expected to see Carlisle there, knocking to tell us to open up, but it was not Carlisle. It was an older gentleman. I squinted and realized I recognized him.

"Rosalie Hale?" Is that you? I thought it was! Goodness, dear. Look how you've grown," he rambled loudly through the window. I could barely make out the words.

"Who's that?" Alice asked.

"No one. Mind your own business and stay in the car, okay?"

Why? Who is-"

"Just do as I say, Alice!" I demanded.

It was one of Lily's clients, Donald Peck. My mom liked to call him, Pecker. He was good looking, but a complete flake. He used to be somewhat decent as far as mother's clientele was considered. Sure he had a wife and kid in LA, but he talked about them a lot when he had come to our home for sex. That is what he had always repeated. "It is just sex. I love my family." I used to think he was one of the good ones, but he did sort of give me the creeps.

Now that I was older it was easier to see that he was a real prick — _hence_ the nickname! He was about fifty now, but he acted like a hyper-active college student on Spring Break every time I had met him. He was a talent agent from LA, but whenever he was in New York he would call up my mother and come for a 'visit.'

He had never touched me, though. I remembered that. So when I opened the door and slipped out to talk to him without Bella and Alice able to listen in as well, I didn't realize it was a mistake. I was only being polite and trying to hide who he was from the others…

"Hey. Um…"

"So you and Lily are vacationing or something? That doesn't sound like her," he asked with a friendly chuckle.

"No… I uh, well… I am not living with Lily right now. I am vacationing with friends," I lied softly.

"Oh, that's fun! Good for you! I bet you are happy to have a break away from your mother too, eh? Busy lifestyle you two have. Gosh. I haven't been up to see you guys in years! You look so good, Rosebud! I mean it. How old are you now?"

"Fourteen — No, fifteen," I told him. I shook my head to clear my error. My birthday was soon. Tomorrow, in fact.

His eyes lit up at the news.

"Fifteen already? Well, that is great! You are just the right age to get a contract with me. You still want to be an actress? Or a model, or something-or-other, right?"

Uh, ya…but-"

"Not buts about it, doll face. You are made for showbiz," he told me, touching my cheekbone and admiring me with an approving grin. "Here's my card. You keep that and you call me if you come to LA. I will set you up with a nice place... I will take good care of you."

I took the card from him and quickly put it away. I had a couple dozen cards from talent agents already, so this was not really necessary, but I wanted him to leave soon so I would have less to explain to Bella and Alice, who were watching intently from inside the SUV.

"I have to go," I explained, trying not to sound too obviously uncomfortable. He was standing so close and he had already touched me once, making me feel like I should have stayed in the car and just ignored him in the first place.

"Alright. That's fine. We should catch up sometime, though," he uttered softly, leaning in. He had me pinned against the side of the SUV. "I can make you a star, Rosalie and give you everything your mother could not…."

I felt my chest tighten and before I could scream out or hit him, he was pulled off of me and Carlisle had him by the shirt as he shoved him into the car next door with a rough boom!

"You _will _take your hands off my daughter!" he told Donald furiously.

Then he told me to get in the car. I was practically frozen, though. "In the car, _now!_" he repeated.

I had never seen Carlisle so angry… His pretty face was tense and his nostrils flared as he breathed heavily, releasing Donald from his grasp. I scurried into the passenger seat and closed the door, but could still make out most of what they were saying.

"You're?" Donald stuttered in confusion. "You're her father? Lily told me you were out of the picture..."

"Yes, I am her father. I don't know who you are, but you are not welcome here!"Carlisle spat — not literally, but his tone was not patient and he was not calm. I had broken him.

"Chill, dude," Donald said. "I haven't spoken to Lily in years. And I never touched, Rosalie. Not once. I am not that kind of man."

"No?" Carlisle asked sarcastically. "Well, then you must be the kind of man who knew what was going on in that home to that little girl and did nothing to stop it. You did nothing to help her. You are the kind of man who thinks that is okay? I suggest you turn around and leave before I call the authorities on you for your involvement in soliciting a young girl."

"Now, just you wait! I never-"

"You do not want to mess with me! Leave, sir. Leave now!" Carlisle growled. And he really meant it — I was shaking, and it wasn't me he was yelling at this time.

Yet, I had a feeling, from the way he slammed the door when he got inside the Suburban and angrily twisted the key in the ignition, that he was upset with me too. All he said was, "Seat belts." Bella was already buckled and staring wide-eyed at her father like she was about to cry and Alice had the good sense to just click her seat belt and shut up.

It was quiet like this, the whole ride home.

Yes, I was in trouble. I broke Carlisle.

To Be Continued…

* * *

_Uh oh! She broke Carlisle. o_O After having such a productive day, and feeling like she was starting to fit in...a prick from the past shows up!** How do you think Rosalie will cope with this encounter? What do you think Carlisle will do/say? Any other thoughts on the chapter? **Rosalie had been doing so well up until she chose to get out of the car and talk to Donald. :S_

_**Thank you for reading and reviewing.** _

_*I appreciate the feedback, even the feedback I can't respond to by pm. :) Someone asked how to see the previews, and I can only send them to readers with accounts who review. I could post them on my DeviantArt Journal if enough people are interested. Let me know._

_Coming up Next- Carlisle put his parenting skills to good use. He deserves 'Father of the Year'!_

_Next update will be Monday, August 30th._


	25. Chapter 25 Father of the Year

_As usual, thank you to Catharticone and RandomSugarRush for their contributions to the story. :)_

_Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed. I always appreciate the feedback!_

_Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer. I am only borrowing her characters for this fan fiction. Please don't sue me._

_***A/N-**New Illustrations are posted in my DA Gallery for Thorns. One of Alice and her lollypops and another of Carlisle consoling a frightened Alice. I am still working on a few other illustrations and they could be posted at any time-it is whenever I complete them and if I think they are decent enough to post. ;) I will let you know next week if there have been updates in the gallery or you can check it out for yourself whenever you'd like. The link to my DeviantArt Gallery is posted on my Profile here. Thank you. _

_Enjoy the chapter..._

* * *

**Thorns**

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

I couldn't speak. I was too upset with myself. I suppose it was guilt. I should never have yelled at Rosalie so sharply, but I had panicked. It is not a good excuse, but I am only human after all.

I didn't want her near that man. I could tell he was up to no good the moment I set my sights on him. The way he slithered closer to her and placed his hands to the vehicle to cage her in made my parental instincts take over and I became someone I don't like to be. But I had to protect her — I had to fight to keep her safe. I had promised her I would do that, so I did.

I sensed she might be mad at me. I was not too concerned about that. She could be mad if she felt it was her right, but I was more concerned about what else Rosalie might be thinking or feeling. She had a tendency to start placing blame and worrying about what every situation meant according to our willingness to adopt her. It was hard for her to accept our outreach, but I hoped she could see how I only wanted what was best for her.

The drive home gave me some time to calm down a bit. I was feeling a lot more like myself as I came to terms with the incident. Nothing had happened — though something a lot worse could have occurred if I had not arrived when I had. What mattered now was that all three of my daughters were safe and coming home with me.

That was another thing I may have messed up on... calling her my daughter so brazenly, like it was the truth. I wanted it to be. The words had come so naturally, it felt like the truth. I felt that paternal love for her. I know that Esme and I agreed not to rush Rosalie, because none of the paperwork was complete yet, but in the moment when I said it, I wasn't thinking. I was feeling. She was my daughter now... even if she was not ready for me to be her father.

I couldn't find the courage to look over at her as we drove from town back to the lake. It was childish of me, but I didn't want to see her fear. I should have said something to her, to ease her pain... because surely she was upset. She had not said anything to me either. So I left it at that and used the silence to our benefit, hoping it would be a good thing, rather than a negative.

"Bella," I instructed as I parked the car. My voice cracked. "You should go back to bed and try to sleep a bit, hon. I will be in shortly with some more Tylenol for the pain." I turned to smile at her slightly.

"Okay," she whispered timidly, pushing her door open with a pained expression.

It was too bad she was ill again. Not seriously, but enough to cause her a slight fever and some discomfort and pain in her ear. I wanted her to take it easy for the rest of the day. Or, at least until tomorrow so the antibiotics might have a chance to start working.

Tomorrow Esme had a surprise party planned for Rosalie — nothing major — but she had made a cake today while we were out. And there were some gifts and it would be a family event. It would be nice for the whole family to celebrate, Bella included.

She and Alice walked ahead back to the cabin and Rosalie kept a low profile as she and I exited the vehicle and followed behind.

"Rosalie . . . I am sorry I raised my voice at you back there. Or embarrassed you, if I did," I told her. She didn't look at me and her expression was still dark and unforgiving. "But you really put a scare into me when I saw that man threatening you like that. I was worried about what his intentions might be and I snapped."

Still no response as we walked slowly, side by side up to the front of the house. I stopped in front of her, before the porch steps.

"When I tell you to do something, like get into the car and lock all the doors, I mean for you to do just that."

"I did that!" she argued, her silence broken.

I shook my head. "No. You got out of the car to talk to a stranger. You put yourself in danger."

"I knew him!"

"I don't know him," I countered. "And neither did Alice or Bella. He was a stranger, Rose. You may have met him once or twice, but he was up to no good. He had no right to be that close to you, to be so aggressive towards you."

"He's an agent from Los Angeles," she told me with a proud, haughty stare. "He just wanted to give me his card. He wants to give me a job... it happens all the time!"

"Rose..."

"Fine!" she huffed, turning from me to walk inside. "Don't believe me!"

I stopped her with one arm, not touching her, but moving so she could not just walk by me. It was not that I didn't believe her. She was not understanding why I had to intervene, and why I was disappointed in how she handled the situation.

"It is the truth," she continued, anger flaring across her angelic face, she obviously was restraining her voice, trying not to yell.

She was not staying on the topic anymore. "I don't doubt it is, Rose. I just-"

"I get stopped all the time by agents and talent scouts. There is nothing wrong with that! He was just one of them that happened to know my mother! That's why you freaked out?"

"He is a criminal, Rosalie. I know it is hard to hear — hard to talk about — what happened when you lived with your mother..." I felt guilty for saying it already, though I said it gently enough. I was almost whispering. "...But what she was doing was illegal and those men were no better because they were using her and they were neglectful to you as well by turning a blind eye on what you were going through."

Rosalie's face flinched and she stared at me blankly for a short moment before tightness returned to her features.

"I am sorry if my words have upset you, honey. I just want what is best for you."

"By screaming at some guy because he was trying to offer me a job?" she yelled back, her face rosy with rage. "I don't need you to take pity on me, you know? I could get a job and work if I want to. I have had a lot of offers. I don't need you!"

I didn't want this to be some big screaming match, but she was becoming shrill and losing focus as she grew more upset. I could see her defenses were up, but it hurt me none-the-less to hear her say she didn't need us. We loved her and we wanted to give her a good home.

"There is no need for you to work or get a job. We are going to provide for you."

"I am going to do it when I am sixteen. I have plans. I am a great singer. I — I can model. I can do a lot of things," she stated as if I had suggested otherwise. "I am going to be just fine on my own!"

She was so scared. It broke my heart.

"You're not going to do it alone, Rosalie. Not if we having anything to say about it," I said calmly. "You're our girl now. It is up to us to provide for you and to raise you so you will have all the things you need so that when you _do_ go grow up and you _are_ ready to leave home, you will be prepared to face life all the challenges that it can throw at you. You are not ready yet — you are too naive."

"I _am_ ready!" she stated through grated teeth, her eyes fixated somewhere over my shoulder.

"You're not, dear. And that is okay, because this is your home now. And when you accept that you will see that it is a very good thing — a much better plan than going off on your own. We will always be here for you — a family to come home to, even when you are grown up and living on your own."

She still couldn't seem to meet my eyes. Her stance was still one of defense, though she was not backing away from me, merely standing solid as I approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder lightly. "Please, promise me you will not talk to strangers? Promise that next time, you will obey my instructions to stay in the car with the doors locked? It is for your safety — and for our peace of mind."

"Fine," she seethed.

That was not good enough. I needed her word. She thought that her attitude would push me away, but I would keep at her until she would see reason if I had to. I needed her to understand why this was important. I wanted to know she would be more careful if there was ever a next time someone approached her like that man did today.

"Rosalie..." I said kindly. "I need to know that you can follow our rules so that we can do our jobs as parents to protect you. I am not trying to bully you, or suggest you are incapable of anything... I care about you."

She shifted, uncomfortable at my words and hugged her stomach tighter with her arms wrapped around her. I was sure this was all very overwhelming for her. I was sorry that I had yelled and been rough with that man in front of her. I was only trying to protect her.

"You are on the defensive now. I understand that you are hesitant to trust me, but what you saw today — me, losing my temper with that man — that was how I behave when I feel threatened. That is how I act when I am defending my family. I did it because I love you and because the thought of any harm coming to you is too much to bear."

There I was, crossing that line Esme and I had discussed. I didn't mean to move too fast, to be pushy. Again, my emotions got the best of me and the words came out as I felt them. I honestly did love her. Losing her — or anything happening to my wife or children — was not something I could just shrug off.

Finally, her body still tense, but her face relaxing slightly, her eyes rose to meet mine. She didn't say anything, and she quickly looked away, but it was at least some acknowledgment that she had heard me.

"I'm not upset with you now. I just want you to be more careful next time, sweetie. Okay?"

She nodded. A lengthy sigh followed and she swallowed, the sound was audible in the momentary silence. I let my hand leave her shoulder and slowly moved it to cup her chin.

"Thank you."

And then... She let me kiss her forehead.

* * *

The evening meal was a quiet one for the most part. Alice threw a pea at Jasper and I had to nip that in the bud before he retaliated in play. But other than a few giggles from those two, it was fairly silent until nearing the end.

Esme had made a nice dinner, but when it came time to eat, Bella was still in bed and Rosalie claimed she wasn't feeling very well either so we only sat six at the table that night.

"She does feel a little warm, Carlisle," she had told me, taking the time to feel Rosalie's forehead with the back of her hand.

I stepped in and felt for myself, but wasn't too sure if she was running a fever or not. I didn't think she was overly warm to my touch. My sensory judgment was generally pretty accurate, but I decided to sit her down with the thermometer under her tongue for a few minutes, much to her chagrin, to be certain.

When the electronic instrument beeped, I removed it and gave a pleased nod.

"You're not running a fever, sweetie," I had told her reassuringly, though her pout never wavered.

Of course, she had two inoculations in one afternoon so I didn't want to overlook that as the probable cause of her fatigue. I allowed her absence from the family dinner under these circumstances.

It was probably stress — or pride perhaps — that was causing her to shy away. She claimed it was no big deal — the run in with one of her mother's ex-clients, but it must have shaken her to see him again. I knew fear when I saw it, and she was scared of that man — even if she didn't know it, or want to admit it. He was another reminder of her past.

It wasn't a very fun dinner. Not that our mealtimes were always a party, but usually, with so many kids, there was an amount of entertaining hype and chatter that it entailed.

Not tonight, however...

Esme was worried about the girls. I told her they were resting and it would do them no good to be opening their door every five minutes, so she resorted to keeping her ears open and glancing toward their room whenever she thought she heard one of them move in there.

Emmett was too busy eating to speak. That was normal, but he was eyeing the bedroom too. I was in awe of the sibling love that they all had for one another. They were such good kids, our bunch.

Edward was just as melancholy as his mother, though Esme hid it better than he did. I swear that boy would cease living if anything should happen to Bella. He had really grown protective of Bella over the last several years. I was proud of him for watching over her — she needed someone like him to guide her because she didn't care for herself enough as she should.

"She's sleeping, Edward. And she said she is not hungry and we can't push her to eat if she is not feeling well enough," I told him. It was the third time he had hinted that we should get her to eat something — since she had not eaten all day.

"But she hasn't eaten anything! How can she get better if she doesn't eat?" he countered.

I loved his determination and I found myself smirking slightly, even though it made him scowl at me even deeper in his impatience.

He made me so proud already; I was not sure how I was going to hold up on the day he graduates from Medical School. Even if that day never comes and he chooses to peruse music instead, my heart still might burst with pride. He was so loyal to his word that anything he set his mind upon was blessed with his grace.

"She doesn't have to eat if she is not feeling up to it — we can't force her. But when she wakes, you may bring her something to drink. That will help. I am sure she would appreciate the thought," I complied with his need to be doing something useful to help his sister.

He nodded and got up from the table. "I think there are a few bottles of grape Gatorade in here," he mentioned as he rummaged through our very full refrigerator.

"Hey! Those are mine," Emmett protested.

"Shut it, Em," was Edward's quick, calm response.

"Edward, language please. We are at dinner. Remember your manners," Esme chastised him lightly for his word choice. She looked to Emmett next. "I will buy more at the store if we run out. Bella can drink whatever she needs now."

"Fine, Ma. I don't care," Emmett replied. "But she's sick so shouldn't she drink water?"

"Gatorade has electrolytes," Edward explained fruitlessly to Emmett. "It says on the label, 'electrolyte beverage,' so I figure it would be good for her." He looked at me for approval.

"Good thinking, son," I agreed with a smile. However, Bella was not one for flavoured, sweet drinks so I had a feeling she might prefer water. "Bring her a bottle of water as well, so she has a choice."

Edward nodded, as he took one each from the fridge. Before he shut the door he hesitated and then reopened it, grabbing one more of each. "Rosalie might want some too." He shrugged.

"I'll bring it to her!" Emmett exclaimed, bolting up to join Edward. The table shook and I had to grab my milk glass from toppling over. Alice was not so quick and hers poured out into her plate.

"Hey!" Alice complained, scooting away from the table in disgust.

"Boys!" Esme and I both called out. I stood and applied my napkin to the scene of the spilled milk.

"Only one of you needs to go," Esme insisted. "They are trying to rest. Edward, offer them the drinks and then leave them be, okay?"

"Ya, Mom."

"But Ma!" Emmett complained as Edward jogged the few meters toward the girls' bedroom door and knocked lightly before slipping into the darkened room.

"Finish eating your dinner, dear," Esme told him patiently, leaving no room for argument. She pointed to his plate with a stern finger and then she took another concerned, motherly glance back at the girl's door.

I got up to make a new plate for Alice. She was a good little eater, but even she would not touch her sheppard's pie if it had a moat running through it.

* * *

It was a blessing that Rosalie went to bed early. Esme had the others all in on the birthday prep work; blowing up balloons, making or signing of some thoughtful hand decorated cards, icing the cake, and organizing a few choice gifts for the occasion. It was going to be a small party — we didn't want to overwhelm Rosalie — but we couldn't let the event pass without recognizing her special day tomorrow.

It got late, and I sent Alice up to our bed because Esme and I felt that she would not get a proper rest in the girl's room if Bella and Rosalie were both not feeling well.

The boys were less easy to tame down. Edward and Emmett were losing patience with each other for some reason — picking small arguments over little tasks and work choices. I was not sure what was going on between them, but it was catching.

Jasper was in a difficult mood tonight as well. His temper flared easily when I asked him if he would mind tidying up some scrap bits of paper that had fallen to the floor. You could see that he was frustrated when I repeated myself. He did as he was told, but with a hastiness and angry edge to his actions. Esme shrugged, not knowing what was causing him to feel so anxious, but I could guess. There was a lot going on and he always felt uncomfortable about others when there was animosity in the air.

After another meltdown from Jasper – when Esme accidentally stepped on one of his toy soldiers and it broke – I decided to take him outside to cool off.

"Come, son. I think the fresh air will do you some good. Let's go for a walk," I suggested, not leaving any room from him to argue. I held open the front door and waited for him to sulk through it ahead of me.

"I didn't do anything!"

"Jasper, please calm down," I started as I made my way over to him on the grass. "Something is troubling you. Please tell me what it is."

"She's broke my General Lee! He's hard to find in stores. Now I might not be able to find another one for ages!"

"Well, son, that is too bad. I am sorry that he is broken. It is unfortunate, but it was an accident. You need to think about what place that toy had being on the floor, though, hmm?" I told him sympathetically, but with a stern reminder. "This is not the first time we have talked to you about leaving your toys laying out where they can be stepped on or tripped over. It is not just about your toys getting broken, it is a safety issue as well."

"It was put away! It must have –"

I cocked my head to one side and raised an eyebrow to him, hoping he would not try to lie to me. This tactic usually worked on the kids. I was very understanding when the kids broke something or made a mistake — accidents happen and people make bad judgment calls from time to time — but I didn't tolerate lying.

Jasper stopped and turned his face from mine. His fists were clenched at his sides and I could hear him breathing deeply, so I presumed he was trying to calm himself like he was supposed to do whenever he felt overwhelmed.

I gave him some time. When his shoulders relaxed and his breathing eased up I tried again. "Jasper, what's troubling you? Please tell me."

"It's just…" he exhaled shortly.

Of the boys, Jasper was a bit easier to talk to. He was more emotional, but that usually meant he was more likely to share is feelings if he was approached in a non-threatening manner. I touched his shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze.

"…Well, the Rosalie stuff, I guess."

"I see," I murmured. "About what happened today?" I was not quite sure how much he knew and what specifically he was stressed about.

"About everything to do with her," he sighed. "She is exhausting to be around, and she makes Emmett act all weird, and Alice is all obsessed with her too. Everything has... changed."

"Are you having second thoughts about her joining the family?" I had to ask. It was only fair that he be allowed to talk about this if he had changed his mind.

"No! No," he insisted right away. His honest blue eyes found mine. "I'm okay with that. I would never want her to leave because of me."

"But you are finding it hard to adjust to one more sibling?"

"Kinda," he admitted, looking down timidly. "She's just so different than the others. She makes things so..."

I nodded. There had been a lot of tension surrounding Rosalie this summer. We were all trying so hard to make her feel welcome. "It won't always be this way. She's been through a lot and it will take time for her to learn to trust us — to feel like one of the family."

"I know. Things are so much more... dramatic, since she's been here, that's all," he told me with a shrug. "Edward and Rosalie do not get along at all, Rosalie is horrible to Bella, Bella doesn't like Rosalie that much either. You and Mom are always worried about everyone, and Emmett likes Rosalie too much," he told me with his arms falling to his sides as he finished speaking.

"On top of all that," he continued, "There are Alice's nightmares too. Those always scare me... I could feel her fear, Dad. I know that sounds stupid, but I could. I get so scared when Alice gets that way — when anyone is sad or sick or scared, really. I can't handle it!"

I was not surprised to hear this. I had witnessed his reactions before and knew he had a keen sense of what others were feeling. He was so empathetic. I admired this quality about him. It made him so human — it grounded him and helped him connect with people where he normally would shy away.

He was always trying to keep calm, to keep everyone around him calm — especially since he had learned to control his own emotions a lot better over the last several years. It was an impossible task he took on — one that was unrealistic. I knew how hard it was to play peacemaker. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to help someone, to sooth someone's pain... it is not enough.

"Yes. It takes a lot of energy to keep up with this family. I realize that," I agreed, reaching out to put my arm around him. "So many emotions flying around... I forget to check in with you as often as I should. I apologize if you feel that I have been neglecting you in that way. It was not intentional, son."

"No. It's not that," he whispered shyly. "I get why things have changed and why you and Mom are so busy."

"Never too busy for you," I told him sincerely. "We love you very much and we would do anything for you. I sometimes forget to talk with each one of you individually as often as I should. That is something I will do better at from now on, okay?"

"Okay," he replied right away.

I wrapped my other arm around him and pulled him in to me and said, "And you can always come to me. You know that, right?"

None of the boys like being hugged. Esme got away with it because she didn't take no for an answer, but usually the boys would make an embarrassed fuss if I tried to hug them. Jasper was not an exception, but right now — without his brothers there to laugh at him, he returned my hug.

"Ya, I know."

I smiled and released him, ruffling his overgrown hair with my hand.

"When are you going to have this mop cut?" I asked him playfully. I knew Esme was always asking him if he wanted to go for a haircut. The answer was always the same...

"Never!" He laughed, dodging from my hand and shaking his hair so it fell into his face and covering some of his left eye. "I like it this way."

And I kind of liked it too. It suited him. He was my little rebel!

* * *

We were heading back inside, the mood had lightened and I felt very good about that. Unfortunately, my heart sank when I saw another child who I needed to go talk to...

Rosalie's still form was hunched over, sitting on the end of the dock. Her long, corn-silk hair shone white in the moonlight.

I was disappointed that she has disobeyed our rules. I didn't like the rules either and I didn't like enforcing them. It was hardest with a new child and Rosalie made every rule seem like a jail sentence. I would have to go down there and bring her home.

I felt myself sigh. If it was heard, I can't be sure, but Jasper put his hand on mine and said. "She still feels so alone, even when she is surrounded by all of us."

I didn't know what to say. He was probably right.

I will go talk to her," he offered, stepping into my view of Rosalie and looking up at me for approval.

I gave him a fond smile. "That is very kind of you; son, but I should talk to Rose. Thank you, though."

Rosalie knew better than to be out of the house alone. It was worrisome to me that she was out on the dock by herself in the chilly night air with only her pajamas on when she was ill to begin with. To make the situation worse, she had not told anyone where she was or what she was doing — again. It was not something I could overlook.

"I want to, Dad," Jasper assured me. "I think she might listen to me better than you right now. I will stay with her until she is ready to come inside, I promise. And if we are not back in fifteen minutes you can come get her."

I couldn't help but agree to that. It was nice that he wanted to help Rosalie. I sensed a part of his will was to get her out of trouble for her rule breaking — the kids did tend to stick together, which was somewhat sweet if they were not being careless. I liked to see them supporting each other, in any case.

_Was I being a horrible parent right now, letting my eleven year old go do my job?_ Maybe... But I was taken by how sure he was that he could help Rosalie, so I was going to allow it.

"Alright then... You sure you can handle this?" I asked him, giving him one last chance to reconsider.

"Ya," he insisted with a wise tone to his young voice. "Because I know how she feels." And then he hurried down the hill towards the water.

I watched him from the porch to be sure they made contact and everything was copasetic. As soon as he sat down beside her I breathed a bit more easily and I went inside feeling so proud of my youngest son.

To Be Continued…

* * *

_**So, is Carlisle worthy of Father of the Year? **Hehee. Carlisle was not unreasonable with Rosalie-he is Carlisle, after all. ;) **And what about his chat with Jasper? What do you think about eleven year old empath, Jasper? Wise beyond his years? **_

_Coming up Next- Jasper has a heart to heart with Rosalie. Also, it is Rosalie's birthday and the Cullens through her a party that doesn't go quite as planned...__ The fluff ends here. Dun dun dun!  
_

_*Previews are available via _**review response** and _on my _**DA journal**_ (link on my profile page). I usually send those out on Friday. The previews will be two separate ones. Reminder- There are a few new illustrations in my gallery as well. :)_

_**Thank you!**_

_The next update will be Monday, Sept 6th._


	26. Chapter 26 All Good Things

_Thank you to Catharticone and RandomSugarRush for being my betas. :)_

_Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer. I'm only borrowing her characters for this fan fiction.  
_

_*Two new illustrations in my DeviantArt gallery today if you are interested in checking them out when you are finished reading. _

_Enjoy the chapter...  
_

* * *

**Thorns**

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

I hadn't intended on breaking another one of their rules. But it was this, or smother Bella with my pillow. That bumbling moron talked in her sleep almost every night, but since she was not feeling well she was much worse tonight. And telling her to shut the fuck up didn't work. So, to save a life and calm myself down, I slipped out the window and went to sit on the dock. It was peaceful out here at night by myself, and I wouldn't fall in and drown — not likely, anyway.

I told them I was not feeling very well either, which was not a lie. Not really, anyway... It was more that I needed time away from them to collect my thoughts on everything that had happened early today. So much had changed for me this summer, and it was overwhelming trying to keep up.

What happened in town today with Carlisle had been a shock to me. I don't know if he even realized it, but he called me his daughter. I sure as hell noticed the word slip from his lips. He said it a few times — that he was my father.

It made me angry. It seemed like he had just decided without asking my permission first. But now, after having time to think about it, the whole thing made me sad. I was conflicted and, quite literally, sick over it. I didn't know if I wanted a father or not — I had never really thought of a man taking that role in my life. All the men I knew were... Well, they were a lot like Donald. Or worse — like Royce and James.

Carlisle was different — I knew that now. So was Esme — who was not like my mother at all, and I hoped she was more loyal than Vera had been. She seemed to really care about me. She had been in to kiss Bella and me goodnight three times tonight before I snuck out. I was actually worried she might be tempted to do it again and I wouldn't be there, but I figured that three times was enough and she would probably have gone to bed herself by now.

She and Carlisle were so good it was almost like they weren't real. _But could I really trust them?_ I kept asking myself that, and my mind was screaming, "Yes!" It scared me.

I was not confused about one thing — and it was frightening to admit to myself as well. I knew that I loved Emmett. To be with Emmett, to be truly happy, I would have to become a part of this family. I wanted to make him happy... And he loved this family.

_Could I learn to love them too? _

Thinking about Emmett made my heart feel lighter. It was how I could get through the days without thinking about where I came from and where I might end up. Emmett didn't care about that; he told me he loved me no matter what and that I would be with him forever. And it was so strange... I believed him. For the first time in my life, I trusted someone without reason. It was like my heart told me it was true and that was a good enough reason.

My tensions from the day and all my worries left me when I could daydream about a life with Emmett. I was happier than I had been in years and it was thanks to him and his ridiculously perfect family.

"Wise men say… only fools rush in." I hummed a bit more, singing to myself."Shall I stay? Would it be a sin?"

This is where I first fell in love with him — on this dock. I had not known it yet, I was still quite stubborn then, and he had called me a bitch that day, too, so I was surprised that I remembered it so fondly. Here is where he told me he would protect me. He told me that I liked him... And he was right. I did like him. I liked him so much that I just might _love_ him!

"But I can't help...Falling in love with you," I crooned.

It had started off slowly — just a soft hum — but I was singing again for the first time in ages. I would not have attempted it except I was alone now, on the dock. The song was one of my favourites, though I had never sung it out loud before. Therefore, it was not tainted by any memories from my days singing for Lily's friends. These were new memories — all my own.

"Like a river flows… Surely to the sea," I sang softly, building up the courage to say the words at more than a whisper. I had not heard my voice in so long, but was pleased to hear that I was still a damn fine singer! "Some things are meant to be."

My heart had slowed considerably and I smiled, hugging my knees tightly, pretending Emmett was there instead.

"Take my hand, take my whole life too," I continued. I took a short pause and sighed blissfully as I thought of growing old together. I would not mind turning grey and wrinkly if Emmett was going to join me. We could have a large family, with children and grandchildren and all their aunts, uncles, and cousins could come over to visit us, too.

"For I… can't… help… Falling in love…With...You."

"That was really pretty," A voice startled me and my heart leaped up into my throat. I swung around to find Jasper there, right next to me.

"How long have you been there?" I asked him sharply, my cheeks turning hot.

"Please don't be upset," he told me gently, his expression soft and innocent. "I came to talk to you. And you were singing so I didn't want to interrupt you."

"Well, you can't just go sneaking up on people like that! What the hell, Jasper?"

"Sorry," he apologized. But I got the sense that he was not really all that sorry and that my harsh tone was not deterring him from his purpose.

"What do you want?" I asked him.

"To talk to you."

Well, he had said that, but I could not see why he would want to talk to me. Jasper and I got along because we had a neutral understanding not to be in each other's way. Mostly, he stayed clear of my path, and we got along very well.

My heart slowed and I sank into myself again. "Okay. Talk!"

He did more than that. He sat down next to me with his legs crossed and his hands clasped neatly in his lap. "I just wanted to tell you that I know how you feel…"

My face scrunched like something stank. "You-"

He held up one hand to tell me he was not finished. "I was a lot like you when I came to live with them too. Only worse…"

I was not sure if I should be insulted or not by his comment. He continued, "I was scared too, but I didn't know it. I was angry and I didn't want them to fix me. I hated Mom and Dad at first — or, I thought I did."

I was speechless. This was the most I had heard him speak all summer.

"It took me a long time to realize how lucky I was that they had taken me home and not someone else. It could have been any kid, really. Yet, I was the one that they took in, and they never let on that they were disappointed about that. It was too good to be true!"

Yep! That was Esme and Carlisle, alright.

"I would not have survived if it weren't for them," Jasper continued. "I would have ended up killing someone because I was so untamed and violent. No one would have given me the same chance that Mom and Dad did. I wasted so much time being angry at them for things that were not their fault. I thought they would tire of me, but they never did."

I felt a surge of emotion run through my veins and up my spine. It rushed to my head and the space behind my eyes tickled strangely. It was nice of Jasper to tell me these things about himself. I knew he had a rough past too, but he never talked about it and Emmett was surprising loyal and tight lipped whenever I had asked him about his siblings.

"So… I just wanted to tell you that I know how you feel now," he finished. "It will pass — the loneliness, I mean."

"Ya…" I murmured. "I hope so."

"It will. You aren't really alone, Rosalie. I promise you."

I think we both felt that enough had been said at this point, and we stopped talking for a little while. We sat there in silent agreement not to get too sappy on each other. I couldn't bring myself to thank him, but I don't think he needed me to.

"So…How did you know I was out here?" I finally thought to ask.

"I was outside with Dad and we saw you."

_Oh crap!_ I grumbled and pushed me face into my knees. "Great!"

"He isn't upset with you. I told him we would come back soon. He said it was okay."

That sounded like Carlisle. I heaved a heavy sigh. There was nothing more to say, and I knew the rule. Jasper could not leave me out here alone so I would have to go back to the cabin with him now.

"I guess we should go back," I suggested and began to stand. Jasper followed me.

"I won't tell anyone what we talked about, Rosalie," he insisted. "Not if you don't want me to."

"Thanks," I told him appreciatively. He was such a little gentleman — an old soul, I guess. It was hard to imagine him being untamed or violent in any way. He was so stunningly peaceful, I thought. Being around him was calming.

"And Rosalie?"

"Ya?"

"I meant what I said. You have a very pretty voice. I think Emmett would like to hear you sing sometime."

And as shocked as I should have been that he knew who I was singing about… I was touched by his words. It was one of the nicest compliments I had ever received.

* * *

The next morning was a rush. Alice came bouncing on my bed at the crack of dawn to wish me a happy birthday. She couldn't contain herself and let it slip that there was a party planned. I felt a bit anxious about the idea, but it was the good kind of excitement. I had never had a real birthday party before. I had never had family or friends before…

"Happy birthday!" she practically screamed as I pulled my blanket up around me head to escape her shrillness. She crawled on me, her knees hard and sharp in my side, and she pulled at the covers. "Get up, sleepy-head! Don't you want to open your presents?"

_Hmmm?_ That did sound tempting…

I was stunned that they had presents for me after how I had treated some of them, but the thought of gifts did intrigue me. It had been a while since I had been surprised by anything, and usually the material items given to me were due to guilt or someone wanting to suck up to me. The Cullens didn't strike me as the kind of family to buy their kids' affections. They didn't even allow cell phones, television, or Internet during the summer!

"Al-ice!" Bella groaned from across the room. "It's too early." She must have been loud, because the sounds were clear through all my blankets, and when I turned to peek I could see her head was stuffed into a pillow, too.

Bella was still sick, though her ear was not hurting quite as badly she insisted. Carlisle said she was still running a slight fever so he had been in once, early this morning, to check on her and offer her more pills. I pretended I was asleep, but I heard him kiss her and tell her he loved her. And then I heard a few footsteps, they halted, and a few seconds later they trailed off, out of the room. I had felt his eyes on me, though. I wonder what he was thinking then…

"What is wrong with you two? It's party time!" Alice chirped. "Weee!"

"Ugh!" I heaved as she leaped off me and I gasped to catch my breath. "I hate you," I grumbled lowly under my breath.

"And I loooove yoooou!" she sang as her voice faded gradually.

It took me about a minute of silence and playing dead to brave peeking out from under the covers to make sure the little flea was gone. I heard Bella move and looked over to see one of her eyes staring back at me.

"Just wait 'til you see her on her own birthday."

I rolled my eyes and nodded, knowing that Alice would be ten times worse if it were her birthday. _Good grief… _If I was really going to be a part of this family I would be around for that! I grimaced at the disturbing thought.

Then I glanced at the clock on the nightstand and noted that it really wasn't all that early. In fact, they had let us sleep in — breakfast was usually at eight every morning, no excuses, but it was already a quarter to nine. If it was due to Bella's illness or because it was my birthday, I don't know.

"We'd better get up, I guess," Bella said, rolling up and hugging her pillow to her chest to lean over it. She put her head down and yawned.

"Wow! You look like crap," I told her, because her hair was one big tangle and she looked washed out and tired.

She lifted her head and sneered at me. I guess that had not come out sounding very nice.

"I mean… How are you feeling?" I tried a better approach. Sympathy was not something I did well, but I thought my tone had been quite pleasant that time around.

Bella stared at me, perplexed, for a long moment and then her eyes darted to the floor. "I feel…"

She didn't want to say it — stupid martyr — so I finished her sentence as I stood up and straightened my shorts and tank top. "…like crap?"

"Ya," she sighed.

"You know you don't have to get up, right?" I told her. "I won't be offended if you stay in bed and miss the—" It was hard to say for some reason. "—party."

I had this weird knot in my stomach that twisted tighter every time I thought about today. I was getting older. Clara had been right — I didn't have many chances left to find a family that would care about me. This was kind of it. I could not decide if the knotted feeling was good or bad, but I felt a bit anxious to get on with the day.

"No. I— want to be there," Bella lied. "It's your birthday… That's what _we_ do."

"Whatever. I don't care either way. I was just trying to be nice since you are sick and that is something that _you people_ do!"

"Good morning!" Carlisle announced merrily as he smiled his way inside our open bedroom door. He flicked on the light. I flinched at the brightness, and Bella moaned and shoved her face into her pillow again. "How are you ladies this morning? It's a big day. You're one year older, my dear. Congratulations!" He sounded way too excited over my stupid birthday.

I waited for him to bring up last night. When Jasper and I had come back from the lake he had been sitting at the table with a book in hand, but he choose not to say anything to me, he only watched me with this unreadable expression, evaluating me. I got so flustered I blurted out, "Goodnight," and he simply replied in kind, and I hurried back to my bed. I was wondering if he had changed his mind about punishing me for sneaking out, but there he stood, smiling like an idiot at me, reaching out to hug me as I tried to squeeze by him through the door. I thought if I didn't make eye contact it might deter him.

"I'm going to have a shower and get dressed," I tried to make an excuse for why I was rushing away. He chuckled and pulled me into a hug anyway.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," he said in the most sincere voice. It was the kind of tone that made me almost sure his eyes were closed as he squished me and patted my arm enthusiastically.

I sighed and patted his back twice with my fingers lightly to hurry the nauseating gesture to an end. Carlisle didn't seem to mind, as he was still smiling when he released me.

"You are feeling better this morning, I trust?" he inquired, pushing himself away. At the same time, he held me out in front of him to look at my face. I nodded and that pleased him. "I'm glad. Well, Esme is preparing a nice brunch for the occasion so I won't hold you up. I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday, my dear. We are so thrilled you are a part of this family now, Rose dear."

"Thanks," I managed to whisper as he released me and I backed out of the room slowly, looking both ways to see who was out there. Now I had to be on the lookout for Esme and her never-ending displays of affection. She was bound to be extra touchy today because she had an even bigger excuse to be.

I had a quick shower and then blow dried my hair straight in case there might be photos take. I put on extra mascara and some lip gloss after dressing in one of my nicest halter dresses.

As I exited the bathroom, two large hands grabbed me and pulled me into the boys' room. I gasped by reflex even though I knew it was Emmett — he made me gasp on a daily basis these days, which was not usually unpleasant.

"Shhh," Emmett cooed, closing the door with one hand and bringing me into his chest with the other. "I just wanted a chance to give you a birthday kiss to start your day off right!"

I bit my lip and clawed my fingers gently over his thick pecs and down his hard stomach and tugged on his waist band teasingly. His hands slipped down to the small of my back and mine slid around, with fingers still inside his jeans, to his backside too.

"Well, then… What are you waiting for? Kiss me, you fool!"

Oh, and what a kiss!

Happy birthday to me!

* * *

"Emmett, I think that's enough," Esme said. "There is cake to be had in a little while. You need to save some room!"

I had been right about Esme. She attacked me with repeated hugs and kisses all morning, and I made the mistake of sitting beside of her at the table so she continued to reach out and pet me throughout the meal. It was not so bad, except during one hug she gave me a befuddled look and asked me why I smelled like cologne.

"Oh! One of the boys spilled some on the bathroom counter, and I got it on my clothing when I was putting on my make-up," I had lied on the spot. I shot Edward a sneer to complete the act. His eyes narrowed at me in return, but it worked — Esme bought it and let it go.

"Aw, but you are just too good a cook to resist having fourths, Ma!" Emmett took another hotcake and put it on his plate. "One more waffle won't ruin my appetite for cake — I am not that delicate. Who do you think you are talking to anyway? Edward?"

I burst out laughing, as did quite a few others at the table. Alice spit milk on Bella and that only made us laugh harder. Bella and Edward were the only ones not amused, which was the best part about the whole thing. Even Esme and Carlisle, though they told us to simmer down, were smiling with amusement.

I contained my laughter to be polite and took a sip of my soymilk, being careful to make a round of looking at each person at the table. Not because I was admiring them, but because I couldn't only stare at Emmett! I snuck him a little wink when no one was looking though, and he grinned from ear to ear — which was not the most subtle response, but it was safe. I couldn't nudge him under the table to communicate to him because a few times when I had in the past he actually asked me, "What was that for?" I loved him, but he was not the brightest crayon in the box.

"Presents!" Alice shrieked as the table was being cleared by her brothers. She ran around fetching a small pile of colorfully wrapped presents and placed them all in front of me stating who each was from.

I was pleasantly surprised that they had actually taken my likes into consideration. Most of the gifts were practical, but the clothing they picked out was not unattractive. There were some skinny jeans and a few sweaters that weren't hideous at all. They covered a lot, but I think that was the point. Esme bought me a really nice cream colored, wool coat with a hood and large black buttons down the front. It was for the fall and winter.

"It will look great with your new, dark jeans," Alice told me as she took the coat from me to try it on. She apparently had a lot of say in many of the presents. I smiled and thanked them both which, of course, earned me a tearful hug from Esme. She was getting all mushy when she looked at me. When she was not right at my side, she was curled up in Carlisle's arms smiling at me strangely like she was holding back.

Alice was more than thrilled to give me a bag of makeup essentials as a gift. She remembered my favorite brands and even ventured to try some new ones and an interesting new shade of red for lipstick. She had more fun than I did opening her gift! Esme kept reminding her to let me open it, but I surrendered and let her do it since she was enjoying herself so much.

Jasper looked pained to give me a basket of bathroom goodies that had a big, lavender bow on it. I thanked him, knowing he had not chosen it himself — he had been guided by others. I thanked him, nonetheless.

Edward and Bella gave me a gift card to a bookstore, teasing me that my copy of _Little Women_ had seen better days and that I needed to read a new book anyway. I made sure to stick up for my favorite story and then thanked them for the certificate.

Emmett and Carlisle went all 'guy-techy' on me when they gave me their present. I had to say, it was my favorite one, even though it came with a lot of restrictions I wasn't sure I could follow. It was a cell phone. One of the ones that plays mp3s and has a full keyboard for texting, and it did all sorts of neat things I couldn't wait to figure out!

"I told them you needed it, for your music, if nothing else," Emmett's voice boomed in my ear as he sat by me to show me what the toy could do. He had nearly died when he saw the crappy mp3 player I had and how pathetic and outdated it was. "And I insisted you have a phone in case of emergency, and Mom and Dad caved!"

I could practically hear Esme's and Carlisle's eyes rolling.

"For emergencies only," Esme reminded everyone, not just me. "You can use the house phone for calling friends when you are at home, and you had better not have it turned on when you are at school." She gave Edward a raised eyebrow.

"When do I get my phone back, by the way?" he asked playfully. "It's been two months." He and Emmett had cell phones that had been taken away because they had been texting each other during class. Their phones had been suspended for the summer.

"At the end of August when we get home," Carlisle told him with peaceful smile. "You don't need it now, anyway."

"Hey, Mommy?" Alice called out. Alice was opening up all the packaging on my new makeup and I told her she could use some if she was careful and didn't get her saliva on any of it.

Everyone was talking or playing games while we waited to have cake. Esme was in the middle of fussing over Bella to see if there was anything more she could get for her to eat or drink that she might feel up to having — she had been very quiet all through breakfast. "How about some orange juice, sweetie?" Esme asked Bella softly.

"Mommy?"

"Some of that Gatorade stuff, maybe?"

"Mommy?"

"No thank you," Bella answered her mother.

"Mom?" Alice went on. "Mommy? Mom!"

"_Yes, Alice?"_ Esme inquired as she swung around dramatically to glare at Alice with as much patience as she could muster. "What is it?" She had a touch of crazy eye going on. This is when her one eye bulged a bit more than the other. It only happened when one of us was really getting on her nerves — usually Emmett or Alice, but I could sometimes get the same reaction using my favorite swear words. _Fuck! Piss! Shit!_ When I used all three, in that order, both of her eyes popped out of her head. But lately I didn't swear quite so much out loud. This family was starting to rub off on me!

"Can I wear some makeup today because it is a special day? Please? Pretty please?" She begged.

"Alice," Esme's eyes closed — probably in her body's own defense. She exhaled as if she was counting in her head, and then she looked at Alice with a kind smile. "You know that you are not allowed to wear any make up until middle school. And even then… Only some light lip gloss and eye shadows, approved by me. You know this already. You can stop asking, darling. I am not going to change my mind."

Alice started to pout already. "But that is too far away!"

"It's only a few more years, hon," Esme replied softly.

Carlisle leaned over to Alice and told her she didn't need make up because she couldn't be any more beautiful. He was lying… but it was still nice of him to try. Alice looked at me for some help.

I shrugged. "Sucks to be you, I guess."

Alice pouted for a few minutes until she found someone else to bug. Edward was teaching Emmett how to play chess lately — and Emmett still didn't get it. Alice thought it was amusing to call out Edward's moves before he made them to help her big brother, but even with cheats Emmett couldn't beat Edward at the game. Alice would always hug Emmett and tell him that he had lost before the game was over.

"You're jinxing me, runt!" Emmett whined, getting huffy and knocking his queen off the board.

Pretty soon it was time to have cake, and they draped a sparkly pink boa around my neck and set a plastic crown on my head. Then, they all put on ridiculously stupid looking party hats. We all looked preposterous! They sang to me off key, but somehow with everyone singing together it sounded kind of nice. It sounded happy!

"Make a wish!" Alice insisted before I could blow out all fifteen candles.

With all eyes on me I stuttered to say something, but I was reminded that I had to keep it a secret anyway so that made it easier. I smiled at Emmett and made my wish.

As they ate cake — I had a few bites to be polite — Alice, with her mouth covered in blue frosting suddenly fell quiet. And of course, that made the room fall quiet because without Alice's sing-song voice something was wrong.

Alice was sitting next to me and her sticky hand clasped onto my arm and she stared through me like she wasn't even with us anymore. That twisted knot in my stomach from earlier wrung itself tighter. I did my best to hide the choking feeling inside my chest — something was definitely wrong.

"What's wrong, Alice?" Bella asked.

"I don't feel good," she whispered back as she came out of her zombie-like trance.

"Please don't barf on me," I told her seriously.

Esme and Carlisle came around and took Alice. She was having another one of her crazy episodes where she acted like she had just seen the living dead. I had to wonder if something was not wrong with her for real. She almost looked like she was having a seizure without all the convulsions. She clung around Carlisle's neck as he rocked her and tried to get her to talk to him.

Everyone was worried about Alice. Even _I_ couldn't take my eyes off her for the longest time. I was impatient to hear what it was that she was so upset about. The last few times she went mental she blurted out things I hadn't told anyone — about Royce and about James... I had a very bad feeling that this was about me again. Not because I'm narcissistic or because it was my birthday, but because I sensed it this time.

I felt that knot strangle my insides again and I forced myself to listen to what sounded like tires on the gravel outside. Then, a door slammed in the distance.

Faint, delicate footsteps were coming this way. I was the only one who heard this, though. I got up slowly, my legs shaky, and I felt my heart sink when I opened the door and saw who was coming my way.

Dressed in a nice skirt and blazer suit, instead of a red, low-cut mini dress that was her signature look when I lived with her… was my mother.

I stood frozen in front of the open door until she stopped on the front lawn and spread her arms. She grinned at me like she used to do whenever we had a good night. Only, she didn't look like a whore anymore. She looked almost respectable in a neat blouse and pencil skirt down to her knees. Her hair was tied up in a graceful twist instead of down around her pretty, yet smug, face.

"Happy birthday, Rosebud!" She said to me.

To Be Continued…

* * *

_Well... **What do you make of that?** Lily makes he "Thorns" debut.  
_

_*Check out an illustration of Lily in my DA gallery (links are on my profile) and one of Alice's nightmare. _

_**Thank you for reading and reviewing! **Previews for chapter 27 are available via review response. _

_Next update will be Monday, Sept 13th._

_Coming up Next- Meet Ms Lillian Hale... Rosalie's 'whore'able mother.  
_


	27. Chapter 27 Come to an End

_Thank you to Catharticone and RandomSugarRush for their help!  
_

_Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer. I'm only borrowing her characters for this fan fiction.  
_

* * *

**Thorns**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

No.

No, it couldn't be! I was hallucinating. Too much sugar or something — I was not used to eating cake — it had gone to my head.

"Well?"

I blinked once, but she was still there, beautiful and slightly intimidating just as always. She looked so much more... grown up, though. I knew my mouth was gaping and my eyes were scanning her, but I couldn't help it. It was Lily, but she didn't look exactly how I remembered her.

With her golden hair wrapped up behind her head in a bun of some sort, she appeared too neat and precise for a woman who did most of her business on her back. Her clothing was refined and non-revealing. She looked very youthful and grown up at the same time — like a kid playing dress-up.

"Aren't you going to say something? I came all this way for you," she said with a cheeky, sideways grin.

She was charismatic and did usually win people over with her charm. But I hated when she used her fake pleasantries on me. It reminded me of how many years I spent worshiping her and trying to be like her. I had finally gotten away from that, and now she was back?

_Why was she back?_ I felt myself start to panic, but I kept myself together and tried to handle her myself. "What do you want?" I asked.

"I'm your mother, Rosalie," she cooed, stepping a few feet closer to the porch. "I wanted to see you... I've missed you."

I shook my head. She must be lying.

"I regret how we parted. I should never have let you go off on your own like that. I should have tried harder to be your parent and not your friend. I adored you and spoiled you. It was a mistake."

_What the fuck was she talking about?_

"Rosalie?" A soft voice — just a pretty as my mother's, only more sincere — asked from behind me. An arm wrapped around me and I didn't have to look over to know Esme was beside me. "Who are you talking to?"

I think she already knew, because she gripped me a lot tighter when she studied Lily properly. I looked quite a bit like my mother — it was obvious who she was.

"Hello. I'm Lillian Hale," Lily said, stepping up to the front door and extending her neatly manicured hand to Esme. I was glad that Esme hesitated to shake it. She didn't even look at my mother's hand. "...I am Rosalie's _mother_."

"What is this about? We were not notified about this visit," Esme informed her, her tone taking on an icy edge. She didn't even introduce herself, but she looked over her shoulder for something or someone.

My mother put her hand back down and smiled, covering up what she was really thinking. "This is about my daughter. I realize that you have been caring for her for the past seven weeks and I am thankful for everything you have done for my Rose, but I would like us to be a family — her and I. What I mean is... I'm willing to try again." She looked at me when she said the last bit, like she was blaming me for what happened — for why I left.

"_You_... are willing... to? " Esme's grip tightened again, and she moved me behind her a bit. She seemed to be at a loss for words, but Carlisle stepped in between us, having overheard what Lily had told Esme.

"Rosalie was always a dramatic, spirited child," Lily explained to Carlisle and Esme. "And I was not a strong enough disciplinarian for her. I mistakenly let her get away with her self-destructive behaviour for too long, and when she began to act out and ran away from home... I thought that I was helping her by letting her go."

"Helping her?" Esme asked incredulously. "Of course that helped her! It was the best thing that happened to her when she got away from_ you_ — and your lifestyle. I can't believe-"

"She's found a good home here with us, I can assure you, Mrs. Hale," Carlisle said, placing a hand on Esme's back and one on my shoulder. Esme was definitely not as calm as he was. Her face was flushed and tight as she let her husband take over. I would have liked to hear her finish what she was going to say, though. They were actually on my side.

"_Ms._ Hale," Lily corrected with a pleasing smile. "My husband and I parted under irreconcilable differences."

_Oh, great._ I felt my insides shiver, and I fought back tears. Lily hated to see me cry. To her it showed weakness. That was just like my mother — and just like Vera, too. They didn't need me if there was a man around, but when they are alone they couldn't seem to live without me!

"Well, _Ms._ Hale," Carlisle said crisply, "we are not opposed to Rosalie being in communication with you — if she chooses to do so and only if it is done so with the proper knowledge of Rosalie's case worker. However, since we have not spoken with her about this, I am going to have to ask you to please leave our property at this time. We are in the middle of a birthday party and we were not expecting any visitors."

"Yes. I know this must seem surprising to you all, that I simply dropped by like this without warning, but I am here because I have a very good life for myself now. I've got a nice home, a good paying job at the bank and with no criminal record and clear credit, I am more than fit to care for my child. I simply can't give up on Rosalie and give her away. I want her to come home."

"It isn't about what you can offer her now... it was what you didn't do to protect her when she was in your care," Carlisle told her. "You chose a lifestyle that put Rosalie at risk and she has been hurt by this — traumatized at times. I will not let you walk into my home and have you say that everything is fine and dandy and you want to try again. You are not the one responsible for her care any longer — _we_ are!"

Lily didn't bat an eyelash — she was too confident. I knew that I was in trouble here. With another perfect smile, she said, "I know that this is going to be hard on us all, to make some changes, but I would like to do this as civilly as possible — for Rosalie's sake. Can't we work together and try to-"

"Get off our property!" Esme insisted firmly. "We don't have any proof of who you are and what you think you are doing here, but I will call the police if you do not leave right now!"

"My lawyer is in the car," Lily said softly, pointing to a dark grey town car parked in the narrow driveway. "I have every right to see Rosalie and I am making arrangements to gain full custody of my daughter as soon as her temporary placement with your family has expired."

"Excuse me?" Esme inquired, stepping forward a bit and in front of me again.

Carlisle interceded. "We have already made plans to adopt Rosalie — to make this her permanent home."

"Yes, I am aware about those proceedings, but I am her mother and I am fully capable of caring for her," she said carefully. "Please don't make this harder on her than it needs to be. I am willing to let her say goodbye and part on good terms with your family — and keep in touch if that is something she would like. I know you have been good to her and-"

"You have no right! We won't allow it!" Esme proclaimed, handing me off to Carlisle who wrapped his arm around me. When my face pressed into the front of his white t-shirted chest, I saw immediate wet splotches show up on the material, so I must have been crying. I was not sure what was happening and why my mother chose now to do it. I didn't need her anymore — I already had a family.

"If you want to see the papers, my lawyer will be happy to go over them with you. A judge has reviewed this case and granted me custody. I am only here to talk today — to visit. I have the right to see her a few times in the next few weeks before she comes home with me. A social worker will be coming by to talk to Rosalie, as well. You may go over this agreement with your case worker, but I hope you will do what is best for Rosalie and not fight this... because you will lose," Lily said with an icy grin. "I am also capable of getting the police involved… if you try to stand in my way."

"We are not giving her up to you," Carlisle told her. "Not like this. Not without a fight. We love Rosalie. We will do what _we_ think is best for her."

The sound of his voice rumbling in his chest almost made me feel better. I wished I could feel safe in his arms, but I knew that this was something even he and Esme could not fix. When my mother had made up her mind about something — she worked until she got her way. And I was no exception. She wanted me back for some reason. I had thought about this a lot through the years as I would jump from home to home, wondering if I could ever go back to her. My resentment only grew when she never called or came to visit. It was like she forgot about me, so I had tried to forget her, too.

"I am grateful for everything you have gone through this summer with her. I was told what a lovely family this was and I really do appreciate you caring so deeply for my girl. I really do," Lily performed with a pleasant face. She was the one who taught me how to lie, how to seduce and how to act. I knew she was using her skills to charm her way into looking like the bigger person here. "I am sorry if this puts a damper on your day. I will let you get back to your party, but my lawyer will be in touch with you soon to arrange the next visit."

I didn't hear most of what she said because I was crying and my head was fogged up and warm. I caught enough to know that she wanted me back and that meant I would have to leave the Cullens — I would have to leave Emmett.

"I love you, Rosebud. I'm sorry if I ruined your party."

I didn't answer her.

"We make a good team — remember that," she had the nerve to say to me. "I'll see you soon."

I was ushered deeper into the cabin and I heard the door shut. When I peeked out I saw the others were staring at me. Carlisle tucked me tighter into his arms and I felt Esme's arms wrap around both of us.

* * *

The party was over. No one finished their cake. No one even bothered to clean up the table. For a very long time it was quiet except for Alice's sniffles. Bella had her now, in her lap.

We all sat around on the sofa. I was sandwiched between Esme and Carlisle who were the only ones who offered a few words of reassurance to me every now and then. They told me that they would do everything they could for me and that if _I_ wanted to refuse going to live with my mother that they would help to get me a lawyer to tell my story and appeal this case.

Emmett had stormed out of the cabin in a rage shortly after Lily left. Edward had followed right after him to keep him from doing anything reckless. I knew he would have liked to hunt down my mother if he could. He was screaming, "This is fucking absurd," over and over. "This can't be happening!"

He was mad at his parents for not doing more, but it was not Esme and Carlisle's fault. They had been genuinely, and sometimes overly, excited about adopting me into the family. I could tell they were as upset — if not more so — than I was about this. It made me feel regretfully ill when I realized this was the case. I was such a burden, yet they were willing to put up with me, no matter what.

I felt numb all over...

I was still in shock, but I wasn't panicking like I suspect Carlisle and Esme were waiting for. I usually went into hysterics at times like these. Or that is how they knew me, at least. They allowed me to feel everything.

I was not all that surprised that my mother would pull this kind of stunt. She was a selfish woman and she never liked to be seen in a bad light. Now that Royce was gone she probably needed me back — for appearance sake. It wouldn't look very good that she had given up a child, so she decided this was the time to steal me back.

I didn't know what my next move was. I would not go happily — I would probably end up making a scene — but I didn't have a lot of strength to fight this. If she wanted me back, she wouldn't lose. I had no doubt she would get her way. Lillian Hale always came out on top.

Esme and Carlisle were wrong about one thing. I could not just tell my story and expect anyone else to believe me like they had done. They had just taken my word for it! Everyone else took my mother's word — that is how it always had been. And with no proof and only her word against mine… I would be forced into her custody for the first time in years. Because this time, it was her will to have me back. No matter how much I hated her for what happened to me, I was helplessly in her control — again.

This _was_ fucking absurd!

"I — I want to go find Emmett," I told Esme and Carlisle, wriggling free from their hands and struggling to stand up. "I should go make sure he's okay."

Carlisle's hands steadied me as they shared a look of consideration. It didn't look like they thought that was such a good idea.

"I think it might be best to wait for him to come home to us, hon," Esme told me. "It'll be dark soon... Edward is with him. He will talk Em into coming back once he has cooled off a bit."

"I agree with your mother, honey. I think we should all just stay in tonight and take it easy," Carlisle suggested, standing up next to me and putting his hands on my shoulders. "So how about you kids try to find an activity to keep your minds occupied and let Esme and I do the rest. Don't worry about a thing."

I was going to argue but there was a shriek of tires on gravel and then a door slam and hurried footsteps coming this way. _Was she back already? _My heart hammered so hard I clenched my chest. It was too soon!

Carlisle stroked my arm and ushered me to sit with Esme again while he went to investigate. He opened the front door and I recognized the voice immediately...

It was Mrs. Butterfield, my caseworker. Her grey and blond, almost white hair was unruly and her eyes looked tired.

"Dr. Cullen!" she exclaimed, "I am so sorry to drop by unannounced, but I have not been able to reach you or your family for some time now. I suspect the phone line is down — it rings busy every time I try to call."

"I wasn't aware..." Carlisle was visibly shaken too, which was odd for him. "Please, come in."

"Clara!" Esme greeted, facing my caseworker. "Is this about..."

"I have some... news," Clara said with a frown when her eyes rested on me.

"You're too late," I mumbled dully. "_She_ was here and told us herself!"

"Rosalie's mother was just here with her lawyer," Carlisle informed Clara more formally. Then he went to the wall and sighed, clicking the phone properly into its cradle on the wall. Someone must have left it off the hook.

I glanced at Clara and she bowed her head regretfully. She had known me long enough to know that I hated my mother. I was very verbal about that hatred.

I always got the feeling Clara thought I was a liar too, but since the Cullens were on my side, she seemed to be as well.

"I found out a few days ago and was in the midst of filing some of your paperwork for the adoption. I have made some calls and talked to my superiors, finding out how entitled Ms. Hale is to ask to have custody of Rosalie at this time and it looks like she has a very good case."

"We won't give up," Esme said to Clara, but she rubbed my arm to let me know she was talking to me. "We will do what is best for Rosalie and I feel — we all feel — that Rosalie is a part of this family now."

"I know," Clara murmured. "And I will do what I can to make sure Rosalie's side is heard, but..."

"But Lily will win," I finished the sentence for her.

"That's not what I was going to-"

"That was the short version. We can't fight her on this. I have no proof of anything and if she wants me back... I won't have any choice. That is how it works. I'm not stupid!"

"I'm sorry for not getting here fast enough to warn you," she said — it was her way of agreeing with me. "I know it must have been shocking to find out that way. When I tried to contact her and found out she was on her way up here, I got in my car and drove as fast as I could."

"We appreciate your visit, Clara," Esme told her kindly, but they were polite words only to be civil. "Thank you for coming this way. We could use your professional advice, I think. This has upset us quite a bit."

"I can go over the procedure and Ms. Hale's visitation rights, with you so you can be ready for her. She is in a rush to get Rosalie home, it seems, so she wants to start the meetings before the summer is up. She will be coming by with a social worker and maybe even her lawyer; just so you are aware she won't come alone..."

I must have sunk or sighed because Esme felt the need to console me. "Rosalie, honey," Esme whispered into my ear. "Don't give up, sweetie."

"Of course we will do whatever it is you want us to do to help you, Rosalie," Clara offered. "If you tell the judge what happened to you the last time you were-"

"There is no point!" I blurted out. "It didn't do any good before, why would it matter now? It is my words against hers and she's my — mother." I nearly choked at calling her that. "You don't know her like I do. She will win this!"

"We are family now and we will always be here for you, Rose," Carlisle interjected. "So whatever happens, whatever you choose to do and how we work this out, you will always have our support."

The words were nice, but I felt like they were only words — pointless — like everything else. Once Lily got me back, I would not see the Cullens again. My mother wouldn't want to share me. I was her doll. I knew what she was up to. There was another reason she wanted me back — to show me off.

"I can't talk about this anymore. This is... pointless." I ripped free from Esme's grasp and I stormed into the bedroom. I'm sure the adults had a lot to talk about, planning my life, so I would just stay out of the way and let the pieces fall.

* * *

A few minutes passed and I began to feel sick from the isolation, but eventually Bella, Alice, and Jasper joined me in the bedroom. They were followed by Edward and Emmett soon after, who came in through the open window. By this time, I had found a harsh, cold exterior for them all to witness. I didn't want them to know how much this was killing me. It was not fair.

_It was not fair!_

"Rosalie. We won't let her take you!" Emmett told me, determined that there was some way to stop this from happening. I wanted to console him and make him feel better, but he would have to get used to the idea of my leaving. I would be gone for a while... maybe forever.

"If you tell the police what she used to do..." Bella said softly, thinking, her expression worried and distant.

"I don't want you to go," Alice whispered, "...it's not safe."

"My mother never hurt me, Alice," I stated for the record. A few slaps to the face for mouthing her off didn't count — I deserved those. No one likes to be called a whore, after all.

"Still..." Edward added his thoughts. "You've been through hell because of that woman. They can't actually think that you would benefit from going back to live with her."

"Just because she's your _'mother'_..." Jasper ranted, "Well, this is bullshit! I hate that bitch for doing this to you!"

I was slightly alarmed with his outburst, but I kept my composure and didn't let them see how touched I was that they cared so much about me. Jasper looked positively lethal, but controlled at the same time.

"I hate her too!" Alice included, curling up in Bella's arms hugging that ugly orange stuffed dog I loathed so much.

Instead of feeling angry, I felt loved by their devotion to me. And that was worse. So much worse...

My eyes started to burn.

"If you tell the police what you told Mom and Dad then-" Bella tried to tell me. I stopped her with a wave of my hand.

I sucked back my emotions and try to explain. "You don't understand," I insisted. My head was starting to ache from trying to explain this to them.

"What is there to understand?" Emmett questioned loudly. His fists were tight and his knuckles white. "That bitch can't have you back. You are ours now! You belong here with me!"

It was interesting how no one found his word choice to be shocking. I guess they really did know about us — hiding it in front of them was unnecessary at a time like this anyway.

There was no point trying to fight this, though. I was not well liked by the police or any of my previous foster parents. I had caused some trouble with running away before, so my word meant nothing to the authorities. They didn't know me — they didn't care. I was some spoiled kid to them. That is how they saw me.

I reached my hand out and put it on Emmett's fist. He softened and pulled me into him and held me for a moment. I stupidly allowed it. I was too weak to turn him away at this time. I should have been stronger. I would have to be strong for a few weeks, though. I guess I took this as my last moment of happiness — in his arms.

"I'm sorry, Rose. I'm so sorry," he whispered to me. "I don't know how we are going to fix this, but I won't let her take you from me."

"She has no criminal record and she has a lot of friends in high up places that will vouch for her," I mentioned weakly, nuzzling my head into his hot chest for comfort._ Just a few seconds more_, I told myself. "Let this go. There is nothing any of us can do to stop this from happening. I have to go with her."

"What do you mean? You can tell them that you don't want to live with her! Tell them you are scared to go back to living with her!" Bella demanded. "You can't just give up!"

I pushed out of Emmett's hold and turned to face Bella who looked ready to beat me herself. I shrugged with as much apathy as I could muster. If I didn't show my feelings, they didn't exist. My shield was already coming back — I had not lost my gift.

"My mom always gets what she wants. It is useless to tell the truth when there is no proof of what she did," I shared with the group. "No one ever believed me before… why would they now?"

"Mom and Dad believe you… Dr Beytell believes you!" Bella shouted. "All of us do!"

"Not everyone is like your family, Bella. My mom has lied to the police before. Hell, she has probably fucked the chief of police! They will be on her side!" I raised my voice just enough. "She always wins. She is gorgeous and intelligent. She knows how to manipulate to get her way! The way I see it, she already has her in... Or she would not be doing this — not if she didn't know the odds were in her favour."

"That doesn't mean you can't try..."

"It makes more sense to go quietly, Bella," I softened my tone slightly and heaved a sigh. "Lily probably wants me to make a scene. It will help her case if I fight back."

"But you are saying that you give up? ...Already?" Bella argued with me. Her eyes were glossy and her face red. "Why?"

I knew what she was getting at and it made my head spin and my stomach churn because she was absolutely right. The Cullens were definitely worth it. Emmett was, too. I didn't want to leave any of them. I didn't see any other way around it — they would have to let me go. It would be better for them if I went with my mother anyway...

"Well?" Bella pressed, rubbing her hand up and down Alice's back as she stared me down, waiting for an answer. "Don't you think this family is worth putting up a fight for?"

I waited a few seconds.

"No," I lied firmly. It earned me a few gasps followed by a thick, uncomfortable silence. I was an old pro at being strong like this, though — a real stone cold bitch... like I used to be!

Alice began to cry again, but I didn't falter.

It was cruel of me to act so cold towards them all at a time like this, but it had gotten me through a lot of hard times before. The colder I was, the less it hurt — for everyone!

I would be long gone in a couple weeks — just a memory of me would remain — and it would be easier for us to part if we hated each other like we had when we first met. They would not miss me if they hated me...

I should never have allowed myself to get close to them all in the first place. I would miss them either way now, but I couldn't tell them that. It was too late for me.

To Be Continued...

* * *

Hmmm... **What do you think of Rosalie's attitude here? **This whole situation kinda sucks, but in reality a biological parent has a lot of legal rights. **It is so sad, eh? What do you think her mother is up to? Or is she just one of those people who doesn't want something until someone else wants it?** I know Rosalie is not an object, by the way...

**Thank you for reading!**

Coming up Next- Esme has a hard time coping when Rosalie is taken away.

*The next update will be Monday, Sept 20th.


	28. Chapter 28 Distractions

_Thank you to Catharticone and RandomSugarRush for all their contributions. I could not write and post this story with your help. :)  
_

_Disclaimer: The characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. I'm only borrowing them for this fan fiction. _

_

* * *

_

**Thorns**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

August 28th, 2009, Friday

"Rosie, please!" Alice begged at the bathroom door. Rosalie had been in there for a very long time primping, and had locked the door, shutting everyone out. But Alice wasn't one to give up easily. "I really have to go!"

"Tough."

"Rosie!"

"Fuck off."

My heart sank each time Rosalie acted out to push us away. With the way she had been behaving these past few weeks since her mother turned up, you'd think she was an entirely different — I didn't know this Rosalie and it broke my heart. She was colder — even more distant — than she had been when we first met her at the beginning of the summer.

"Mommy!" Alice called to me.

I took a breath and wished I could make this easier for Rosalie — for all of them. I felt powerless to stop it. And every time I tried to confront Rosalie she would stare through me like she couldn't hear or feel me.

Rosalie had reverted back to being distant, haughty, and rude. She was worse than she had been when she first arrived. Even though Carlisle and I knew that this was another defence mechanism to protect herself against what was happening, it had been a rough few weeks for all of us. And with her mother coming to pick her up tomorrow morning, this was our last day together as a family.

Lillian had been back twice already, like she had promised, and she had all the legitimate paperwork and a social worker that came with her, so we had no choice but to follow protocol.

It made me sick. It was disgusting that there was a protocol for such things — concerning the best life for a child. All these rules to follow that had nothing to do with love, just her wellbeing, who was related to her, and who could support her financially. It didn't matter that we loved Rosalie... It only mattered that Lillian was her biological mother — that counted _now_ for some reason!

Clara had been trying her best to find loopholes we could use to appeal, but so far we had nothing concrete to use as a case against Ms. Hale. It didn't matter how beautiful she was on the outside, I could see who she really was — a selfish, narcissistic bitch! She should not be allowed near children, let alone her own daughter. She was a despicable, slimy woman, but on the surface, and according to how she appeared in person and on paper, she was going to get her daughter back. We were just foster parents. We didn't have the same legal rights she had. We weren't enough. It felt like we were letting Rosalie down.

I could do nothing to stop this, so we had done our best to support Rosalie, but I was not simply going to let this go. Carlisle and I had told Clara that we wanted to maintain contact with Rosalie, and she was fairly certain that could be arranged. We didn't want to lose Rose, and we were determined to show her that we would always care for her.

She was making it hard on us, but I could look past her behaviour. It was how she was coping. It was her distraction. I knew where she was coming from even though her attitude hurt all of us so terribly.

"Mommy!" Alice whined, jumping up and down in front of me now. "I gotta go pee!"

I folded a piece of laundry and took in a deep breath. "I know, Alice," I sympathized. "Your father will be out of the shower any minute. And then you can use the upstairs bathroom."

"I'm going to explode!"

"You can pee outside," Edward suggested. "We won't look." He chuckled dully, peering over his book. Bella was reading too, but she didn't look up. She had been staring into that book for hours, and I had noticed that she was still only a few pages into it.

Alice stuck her tongue out at her brother and groaned. She continued to dance around, staring longingly at the loft.

We heard a door open from upstairs and Alice squealed and ran toward the stairs desperately. "Daddy, moooove!" she called out as her feet thumped up the wooden stairs. A door slammed soon after and then came a very grateful sounding, "Thank you."

A minute and a full basket of folded laundry later, Carlisle came downstairs. He was fully dressed, his hair damp and scruffy, and like me, he had grey shadows under his eyes from lack of sleep. I didn't like what was happening to our family — Rosalie's departure was wearing us all down. I hadn't seen Carlisle look so tired, so worn out, since his years of residency.

"Hey sweetheart," he said to me as he came over and kissed my cheek, taking hold of the basket of clothing in my arms.

"I can do it," I told him, not letting go.

The truth was, I had been working extra hard, needing a distraction myself. I couldn't just sit around and cry. I had to keep the cabin in order and the children fed. Usually I loved to do these things for them, but I was making up work for myself now, and I was not having fun. I was just getting by.

"Let me," Carlisle insisted. "You should have a rest. You've been on your feet all day, love. How about you just sit for a while?"

I shook my head, my eyes sheepishly avoiding his. "I'm fine."

He sighed and let me continue on with my chores. It wasn't as if I was trying to hide what I was up to, but it made it easier if I didn't think about it too much. He understood. He needed distractions, too. He had been diligent about making sure the kids had plenty of activities during the day, taking them on hikes, swimming, canoeing, going into town for ice cream...anything to keep our minds off Rosalie leaving.

We were all driven to distraction lately.

* * *

"Is she going to come outside, Mommy?" Alice asked me, squeezing her head under my arm and squishing closer to me as we stared at the flames in the fire pit. It was late, and we were all tired, but we were still trying to do the best we could to keep things as normal and positive as we could.

"I— I don't know Alice," I replied. My voice was weary... I couldn't help it, I was so tired. I didn't want to deal with this, but there was no choice. Rosalie only yelled and threw things if we confronted her and tried to encourage her through these days. It was too hard — there was nothing I could say to make this better. I was failing her.

Someone thought it would be nice to have a BBQ and bonfire like the first day, but it was not the same. I would give anything to have that first night with Rosalie back again instead of this night. Tomorrow Rosalie would leave us, and no one wanted to face that.

Hardly any of the food was eaten. Emmett had a hotdog and left part of the bun on his plate. One hotdog! He was taking this harder than his other siblings. I knew why. I was not clueless. Emmett and Rosalie had grown close this summer — more than friends. I hated that I could do nothing but sit back and watch my son's heart breaking to lose his best friend.

I insisted they all try their best to eat, but I was not setting a very good example myself. Nourishment was the last thing on my mind. Rosalie had eaten some salad and then she retreated back inside, but she had not returned. I doubt she planned on coming out to join us around the fire. Normally, I would insist we all be together, but if she was going to fight so hard to push us away, I didn't want to aggravate the situation by insisting she sit with us. I would have to physically drag her outside and tie her down at this point, and I wanted our last day to be as gentle as possible.

"Should I go get her? Maybe she-"

"No, Alice." I stopped her bluntly. Too bluntly perhaps, but I didn't want Alice's feelings to be hurt if Rosalie turned her down.

Carlisle sighed, and I looked up and across from me. He ran his hand through his wavy locks and then glanced at me, a pained expression. "I will go speak with her."

"Carlisle..." I was going to stop him, but he was standing and when he waited for me to continue, I didn't have anything to say. So I struggled to give him a little nod. Maybe she would listen to him...

I was not surprised to hear Rosalie's screaming voice a few minutes later. I took in another deep breath.

Alice hugged me tighter, and I stroked her hair off her face. She was doing well all things considered. I knew she was strong, but Alice somehow had remained the most positive about this whole situation. She had come crawling into our bed a few nights ago and I woke up thinking the worst — another nightmare — but she was calm and she just wanted to be close to us, I guess. I was more than happy to have her near so I tucked her in between Carlisle and me and held her until I fell asleep again.

In the morning she had whispered to me, "Don't worry Mommy. We will get Rosalie back."

Maybe it was her youthful innocence that made her hold such hope when the situation was so utterly bleak... Or maybe she knew something we didn't. I wanted to believe Alice more than anything in this world — that Rosalie would come back to us. It was what I needed to hear — it was what I wanted to hear.

_Did that give Alice's words less relevance?_I was a lucky woman who had been blessed with many miracles in my life. _Was it selfish to wish for one more?_ I hope not...

Carlisle came outside once more and took his seat sombrely, defeated. "She says she is tired and she wants to go to bed." He was translating for us.

"This is stupid," Emmett announced in a deep grumble under his breath. "What the fuck are we doing here?"

"Em..." I was going to reprimand him, but I opted not to. He was angry. I wished I had a way to vent my anger, too. I suppose a few curse words were not the worst he could do considering how he was feeling.

"Screw this," he mumbled as he got up to leave.

Carlisle attempted to stop him. "Emmett, please sit down. There is nothing-"

"Why are we acting like nothing is wrong here? Rosalie is leaving tomorrow!" Emmett scolded us before he turned to leave the circle. "You can all sit here and pretend like this is okay, but I am going inside to be with her. She can yell until she is fuckin' blue — I don't care. I can yell as loud as she can!"

He stormed away from us, stomping into the cabin and slamming the door behind him. And indeed, there was a cacophony of soprano and bass that followed. The words were not clear, except for the occasionally, "fuck off," or, "fuck you!" Not all of them were Rosalie's.

Edward tried to play his guitar louder, but we could still hear the argument battle on. It lasted for a solid twenty minutes before their muffled voices began to die down and then stop completely.

It became very quiet suddenly... There was no movement or signs of life coming from inside the cabin. They must have hit that special pocket, the eye of the storm, where they had both cooled off enough to see daylight again... They had found peace.

I suspected this moment would not last forever so we tried not to say or do anything that might disrupt the calm. We just sat around the campfire, as a family, and enjoyed the silence. It was pretty clear that this was not going to be an easy parting. And if Emmett and Rosalie could find some comfort tonight, then we all would. They needed this time to say goodbye — and we all deserved this tiny bit of happiness before tomorrow came.

* * *

I was up before the sun. I couldn't sleep anyway, and I feared my tossing and turning would harm Carlisle's chances to catch a few decent hours of sleep as he did sleep better in the wee hours of the morning. So I got up and bathed quietly and threw on some clothing, not caring what I wore — as long as it covered me.

I didn't bother with make-up or brushing my hair. It was already tied back so I just left it in its disarray and tip-toed downstairs to find something to do to make use of my time. It was hard to do anything that wouldn't wake up the children. I had wanted to make a really nice breakfast, with everyone's favourites, so I began to cut up some watermelon for Bella and then I laid out a tray of bacon and sausage that the boys would enjoy. I didn't always make that for breakfast, let alone both at once, but this morning I had to make an effort.

A few hours went by...

Everyone got up and went on with the routine of sitting at the table, but no one ate very much. That was to be expected. It was not the reason I had prepared the meal in the first place.

"She's got all our numbers in her phone," Emmett spoke first. The only one not at the table was Rosalie, who insisted she was still packing, but I knew that she was already packed. She had been using that as an excuse for days already.

"Good." Carlisle patted Emmett on the back. "I know this is going to take some getting used to, but if possible..." He paused to think and then he sighed and continued, "We should try to keep positive about this — for Rosalie. Maybe her mother had changed and this will be good for her..."

It was total crap as far as I was concerned, but God bless Carlisle for trying. That is why I loved him so much, he was always thinking of others — always hoping for the best of humanity.

Emmett obviously felt the same way I did, but was more vocal about it. He gave his father an incredulous, unappreciative glace. "That's the stupidest thing you've said yet."

"Em!" I gasped, shocked at his behaviour. My fork clicked down into my plate. "That is not how you speak to your father." We had to stick together now and be a team. It would be hard enough as it was, but I didn't want the family to fall apart because of this. "I think you owe him an apology."

Emmett grumbled something and stared down at his lap.

Carlisle didn't appear to mind at all. He gave me regretful look, but I couldn't hold my eye contact with him for very long. Because... I didn't want to think that positively either. I hated that bitch for taking Rosalie away from our family. People can change, but I had a feeling Ms. Lillian Hale had not.

"Knock knock?" A high, singing voice called out from behind the closed door. Then there were a few light knocks.

I was getting angrier each time I encountered this woman. She had told us she'd pick up Rosalie around eleven and it was just past nine o'clock — it was too soon.

I felt the blood pound in my temples as I clenched my teeth and peered at the door. I wanted to keep her outside. I wondered if we all stayed very still and quiet, if she might go away.

Unfortunately, this was not the case. The door clicked and opened and I realized she had opened it herself. She was the most brazen woman I had ever met.

I didn't trust that her intentions were true — not one bit! Second chances were something you gave to children, who needed to learn from mistakes — to learn right and wrong. But she was a grown woman who repeatedly put Rosalie in danger when she had her in her care. I had no sympathy for her and I didn't think she had any right to be a mother if she couldn't even admit her wrongs and ask for forgiveness. She was the most horrible kind of liar because I don't think she understood how very wrong she had been. Worse... She accused Rosalie of making the whole thing up for the sake of drama and attention seeking. She blamed her child for leaving her.

Emmett was right... this was fucking absurd!

Carlisle stood and wiped his mouth with his napkin. "Mm... Ms. Hale. I am sorry we didn't get the door quickly enough; we were in the middle of breakfast. Would you like to join us?" I loved Carlisle for his civility, but his offer nearly made the few bites of toast I had ingested rise up again.

"No. I don't eat fats," she said with her nose stuck up, but her eyes narrowed at the plate of bacon and sausage, that was practically untouched. She then gave me a squishy smile as she came and gave my breakfast table a closer gander. "Got to keep this figure trim, right?" Her question was rhetorical, yet fishing...

"I don't think it is working. You might need to try something else," Alice told her with a determined, dead-pan face. She gave the woman's backside an obvious stare using the same expression Ms. Hale had just given the meat.

Edward coughed on his food and covered his mouth to hide his face. Bella's mouth hung open and Jasper smiled very slightly, proudly, at his little sister. Emmett raised his eyebrows at Rosalie's mother and nodded slowly.

_Good for you_, I thought. It was probably horrible and immature of me to side with the kids for showing that kind of disrespect to an adult, but I had no will to scold Alice for that one. I couldn't even pretend to be sorry for my daughter's rude comment. It was the most comforting thing I had heard all morning.

"Well, aren't you a precocious little thing?" Lillian hummed and patted Alice's head like she was some stray dog. "Cute."

I wanted to slap the woman.

"Where's Rosalie?" she asked sharply. "As charming as this place is, we need to be heading back to the city. I have things to do today."

No one was eager to speak, but Carlisle sighed and pleasantly mentioned that she was in her room, finish up with her packing.

"I'll go get her," Bella offered timidly, slipping away from the scene quietly.

"Rosalie hasn't eaten yet," I protested, my voice shaky. I tried not to sound so flustered. "You just got here... and you are a bit early. Perhaps you could let us have a bit more time with Rose. We wanted to have more time with her — to say goodbye."

"I know my daughter... She won't eat any of this. Also, she is not sentimental, so I would not expect much from her in the way of a goodbye. I think we will just get on the road. You may have a few minutes to say _your_ goodbyes if need be, but I don't see any reason to drag this out and further. Do you?"

She smiled at me slightly — to anyone else it looked friendly, but it wasn't. That bitch had the nerve to smile at me! She was enjoying this.

"I..." My throat closed up and I looked helplessly around the room for rescue. Carlisle came to my side.

"We would like to have a few minutes with Rose before you go, thank you."

I gazed up at my husband unbelievably. _How was he keeping it together?_ He gave me a reassuring, sympathetic smile to let me know that he was with me. I was glad that he could be civil, because if he was not here I would have done something very unladylike. I had not pounded on anyone since I was a child and that bully Sandra Perkins stole my lunch kit at recess. I knew that violence was not the best solution, but I was gearing up to make an exception this time.

Rosalie came out of the girls' bedroom with her two duffle bags in tow. Bella sauntered out behind her and slipped into a corner out of the way.

"Morning, sugar," Lillian said in a syrupy thick voice. She smiled cryptically at Rose. Her tone changed to a more abrupt, professional one before she continued. "Say your goodbyes. I will wait for you in the car."

Next, she stared at Rosalie's bags and then to Edward expectantly. Thank goodness Carlisle had his hand on my back, holding me together. I was ready to pounce. My children were not to be ordered around by anyone by me! She had better not say something to him...

"Uh... Here, Rose," Emmett offered, reaching for her bags. "I will help you with those." She let him take them, giving him a brief nod, and he nodded back and whispered something to her before he backed away and headed outside with her luggage. Rosalie's 'mother' followed behind him with a deep sigh of impatience.

"Rose..." I was not sure what to say, thus I could not speak. I had no words of wisdom. I had already told her, we all had, that she was still our Rose and we would always love her. There was nothing more honest to tell her.

"Look. I can't do this," she insisted stoically, looking through the gap between Carlisle and me. She was not as cruel as she had been the last week or so. "I'm bad at goodbyes, okay? I know you want hugs and all that shit, but can we please just..."

She didn't really expect us to not hug her goodbye, did she? It was too late, anyway. I already had my arms around her and I rocked her a bit. Carlisle stepped up and put his hand on her back too.

"Call us, Rose. Please don't shut us out. We can still be family, dear," Carlisle told her. "You can never have too many loving family members."

She sighed, her body remained still.

"We love you, Rose," I told her. Telling her one more time would not hurt.

And then... in a blur of goodbyes from the kids, sad faces all around, Rosalie was gone.

Her mother had honked the horn, and they were gone. _How did I let her slip away from me?_ I had her in my arms and then... I let go.

_Why did I let go?_

* * *

I was not being a very good mother today. I couldn't even look at my children, let alone comfort them. I was pleasant and kind, and of course I loved them just as much as ever... But I couldn't deal with this loss if I was going to get through the day.

There was so much to do before tomorrow when we would head back to Ithaca. The cabin need to be cleaned from top to bottom before then, and all the outdoor furniture needed to come in and be covered with sheets. I had to empty the fridge, cupboard, pack all the clothing, toys, books that we would want to take home with us...

I was grateful for the work.

I didn't expect my children to slave away with me — I didn't want to teach them bad self-help habits. I think they had the better idea. It was better that they be allowed to feel sad about Rosalie leaving.

Alice cried. I was ashamed that I could not hold her. Carlisle was a lot stronger than I was right now, though his heart was probably aching just as much as mine was.

This was something only I needed to do. I didn't want them to see me like this, though... I was not acting like myself.

I gave Emmett the keys to the suburban and my wallet and talked him into taking his siblings into town to play at the arcade and whatever else they wanted to do. I thought the distraction would be good for them. Emmett was such a doll. He was obviously hurting on the inside, but when he saw the sad faces of his brothers and sisters he agreed to drive safely and got them all on board to go to town for the afternoon.

There was one load of laundry that I had put in the dryer earlier that morning that still needed folding. So, in slow motion, I folded each item and placed the neat garments into a basket. I was in a deep trance, unfeeling, until I came upon a tiny piece of denim. I knew who the tiny shorts belonged to, but I simply folded them and put them on top of the dryer to deal with later. I folded one or two last items and then carried on with my other duties.

I didn't want to face this.

I managed to work through the pain, ignoring the feeling of my heart being strangled by my heavy breathes.

Carlisle was outside, repairing some of the outdoor fixtures, painting the back door, and taking down furniture to be brought inside. He kept asking me if I needed any help indoors, but I declined him every time. I was doing so well concealing how torn up — how broken — I felt inside.

It was only a matter of time before everything would crash down around me.

When I was cleaning out the fridge, I came upon a half filled glass of soymilk. I studied it thoughtfully for a few seconds — it had to go. No one else would drink it. I grasped it firmly, my eyes clouded with warm tears that I could no longer contain.

I moved to the sink, robotically almost. I heard the shatter before I knew what I had done. The glass had hit the edge of the porcelain, I guess. It startled me and I clenched my hand to catch the falling glass — I was not ready to break yet... But the glass was already broken into several large jagged pieces, one of which pierced my palm and made me help out and drop the jagged shard into the sink with the rest of the scattered glass and spilled milk.

I did nothing for almost a minute. I stood there, looking out the window at the bright green and blue that swirled together. Eventually, my body gave up on me. There was no stopping it this time...

I started to tremble. Then, my knees wobbled out from under me and I sank to the floor with a thud that knocked the wind out of me. My vision was murky and I could only vaguely make out the red tones that spotted the tile around me. My hand throbbed, but I welcomed that pain. It was better than how much it hurt to breathe.

I began to cry. I sobbed so hard that there was no sound. There was nothing to breathe in; the space around me was empty. My distraught face was sure to be a hideous sight. My mouth fought to stay closed and my eyes shut so tightly I was seeing white spots in the darkness. I stopped shaking, but the stillness that followed was more alarming. I tried to grab the cupboards for support, but they were useless to my aid.

_This __must be what absolute despair feels like..._

I had felt nothing even close to this — not since the day years ago when I had found out the full extent of my injuries from my fall. I thought that was all behind me. I never expected to lose a child because having children was "not in the cards." That is what they told me. But they lied... I could still lose a child, and it was the worst pain a mother could feel. I understood that now, more than ever.

"Esme?" I heard Carlisle's voice tenderly calling my attention back to the present. "Look at me, honey." I felt pressure on my arm. Something was wrapped around my hand when I focused my sight again. One of my good tea towels...

I felt heavy, my breathing thick, but at least I was breathing again.

His hand cupped my cheek and guided my face up to meet his. He looked so worried — yet so beautiful — my perfect, benevolent deity. He asked me if I could hear him, his fingers lowering to under my jaw.

He kept glancing at his watch and then back up at me. I didn't want to upset him by taking too long to answer. "Yes." I nodded, my cheek rubbing against his smooth palm.

"Good girl," he praised me, relieved. He exhaled a puff of sweet smelling air into my face — that is how close he was to me, looking me over critically. "How are you feeling?"

He was anxious to find out, but he waited patiently, as always, for a reply.

"Okay. I— I just broke a glass and it— I'm okay." I tried to explain what happened without worrying him, but his frown didn't leave his pretty face fully.

"Hold on, darling," he told me, coming closer. "I've got you."

I was weightless. I automatically reached around his neck to hold on as he carried me over the mess I had left on the floor. Too much red — It was such a big mess...

I felt shooting pain through my hand and hissed.

"Careful, darling... Your hand is cut," he told me, placing me on the sofa carefully. I tried to sit up, more worried about getting blood on the light material of the furniture than my own comfort.

"You need to lie down while I look at your hand, love," he insisted gently, guiding me down on a throw cushion with some pressure on my shoulders. I couldn't have fought him on it if I wanted to... I was too weak to protest.

Besides, he knew what he was doing. I trusted him.

He placed my arm across my chest, still wrapped in the ruined towel, and told me to keep it there as he left to get a few things to take care of my hand.

"I'm sorry for the mess, Carlisle." I told him when he returned. My mind was clearer now. I was thankful to be able to form a sentence coherently.

He sat down on the coffee table, across from me and took my hand again. "You have nothing to apologize for, Esme," he told me, unwrapping my hand, holding it up at a 90 degree angle. "If anyone should be apologizing, it should be me..."

I got ready to shoot down that argument, but my words got stuck and he was so much faster. He looked up from my hand for a moment."I knew you were hurting. I should have made sure you had the support you needed today. Instead I was hiding outside — not wanting to face this. It was not the healthy choice. What if..." He couldn't finish his sentence. His eyes were lost, his mind caught up in some unpleasant thought.

"I'm okay, Carlisle." I told him. It was a lie, and it even sounded like one. I glanced away from him, but realized I could not look at my hand either. Too much red still...

It was all too much for me to bear right now.

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, thankful for the fresh oxygen. I let it out slowly.

"Can you feel this?" he asked me, pressing on each finger tip. With each one I nodded accordingly. He seemed pleased, and he began to wipe something cool over the site. It stung a bit, but it was nothing unbearable — nothing like before.

I felt my chest get tight again as I recalled the reason for all this mess.

Carlisle picked up on my tension. "Deep breaths, love," he reminded me. "That's it. In through the nose..." I did as he said. "Good. Exhale slowly... Good." I exhaled shakily through parted lips. It helped to have his guidance. I was thankful to have him. Maybe being alone was not what I wanted after all. This was better.

After a few more rounds of deep breathing, my hand was cleaned and wrapped neatly, and he was tidying up. My hand was resting on my chest again. He kissed my forehead as he got up to leave the room for a moment to throw away the soiled pink gauze.

When he returned, I sat up and made room for him. He slipped into the corner of the loveseat and let me cuddle into his comforting, warm chest. His hands held me firmly.

"When will the pain go away?" I asked him finally, not being able to hold it in any longer.

"It is minor, darling. The cut isn't too deep so it should heal well — a day or so for the wound to close completely." He hadn't understood my question. This was my husband, the doctor, speaking.

I shook my head, my eyes shutting tightly. I only wanted my husband now. My free hand came up to clamp over my face. I didn't want to hide it from him anymore, but I it was habit.

"Oh! Oh, sweetie," he cooed, "the pain will ease with time. I know it hurts so much that it is nearly unbearable, but it will not always be that way. It will take time, but you will find yourself again. It will get easier to accept with each passing day."

Maybe he was right, but his words, though surely sincere, sounded rehearsed. There was nothing he could say — that anyone could tell me — that would soothe my aching heart. I would have to get used to that pain and learn to live with it. That is how I would deal with it. I would have to face it every day.

"I just can't believe she is gone." There was a tremor in my voice.

"We will miss her... But she is not gone," he reassured me. "We will see her again."

I let myself cry this time. He was right, of course... Rosalie was healthy, alive, and living in the same state. She was not lost forever. I had to try to remember that. Carlisle believed his words to be true. I would have to find the strength to be as strong.

Carlisle pressed his lips to the crown of my head and whispered, "Have faith, my love."

To be Continued...

* * *

_So, that was rough, but if Esme had not reacted this way she would not the loving mother that we know and love, right?  
_

_**Thank you for reading! **_

_*If you are feeling sad by the turn of events then I have done my job, I guess. Hehee... But I do feel a bit guilty about it. However, please know that the story is not over yet. ;) So no worries, okay? (hugs and cookies for everyone)  
_

_Coming up Next- Rosalie Vs Lily_

_Chapter 29 will be posted on Monday, Sept 27th, one week from today. _


	29. Chapter 29 Mother Dearest

_To Catharticone and RandomSugarRush for their help editing this story. I could not manage to do this on my own. Thank you. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight Saga Characters-they belong to Stephanie Meyer. The rest of this story is mine, though. No touchy! ;)  
_

* * *

**Thorns**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

"Do you want to listen to the radio?" She asked cheerfully.

I couldn't believe she was acting like this… like nothing had happened between us. I should believe it — my mother was a selfish whore — but she obviously thought we were going to carry on like she had not just screwed up my life!

"Get fucked!" I told her plainly. I liked the sound of that. It had not felt as nice saying it to any one of the Cullens. Swearing didn't make them angry — only horrified and disappointed. It had never felt right to curse at them. There was very little satisfaction to gain from it.

I could tell I reached Lily with my words because her hand whitened around the gear shift as she changed gears and slowed down. I had never known Lily to drive, but I guess after almost four years she had finally learned how and got a fancy car to go with her fancy new image. Seemed pretty useless, in her profession, but my mother was nothing if not for show.

"Rose," she murmured. "We should talk…"

I shoved my ear buds into my ears instead of listening to her. Emmett had transferred a few dozen of his favorite songs into the cell phone they had given me for my birthday, and I needed to hear them right now. They were not the most romantic songs, but they were his favorites and therefore, they were perfect.

In the middle of some song that was more screaming than actual singing, the cord was ripped from my ears and I jumped. The car was parked at the side of the road and Lily had my earphones dangling from her hand.

"What the fuck?" I demanded.

"I won't tolerate this rudeness, Rose. What's done is done and we have to move on. You have held this grudge too long! I can't even remember that it was about…"

"You're fuckin' kidding me, right?" Of course she remembered! _How could she not know?_

She was calm as ever, twiddling the white cord around her finger thoughtfully. Her expression was one of sorrow and self-pity, but it was not genuine. It never was with my mother.

"It's taken me a long time to get over what you did — to forgive you," she said. "When you ran away it hurt me very much, Rosebud."

"You know why I left! You didn't even try to stop me, remember? You never came to get me back before now. Why did you wait so long?" I snapped. I hoped she would have something honest to tell me this time.

"You've been at it again, spreading lies, haven't you?" She asked rhetorically. She didn't want me to answer.

I had not been lying. I didn't lie about that!

I scoffed and glared at the dash loathingly as she began to speak. Here we go again…

"There was a doctor's letter that your social worker tried to use to discredit my name, reporting your admission to some sort of assault that _you_ believe went on in our home."

"He tried to rape me!" I interjected. She was delusional if she didn't remember how rough Royce was with me that night. She knew it was the truth. If she honestly didn't, then she was more fucked up than I thought possible.

Lily remained placid and patient, which irritated me further.

"It is a good thing you have quite the reputation for being sullen and untrustworthy, Rose. Your previous foster parents gave plenty of evidence of that," she told me with pleasure. "I think you pissed off a lot of those housewives, dear. You should know by now that women of our breeding are not well liked by other, more common women. Making enemies with those ladies was not in your best interest. Women are catty, darling. They will rat you out if given the chance..."

"That's bullshit!" I yelled at her. "I didn't do anything to them!" However, I felt my stomach sink because I had been pretty terrible in a lot of those homes. It was very possible that my behavior back then had hurt my case now. "It doesn't matter what they said, anyway… That night with Royce happened, and you know it did!"

She smirked and tsked her tongue a few times. "I am afraid you do not have a very good track record for honesty and integrity, my darling. It is hard to believe anything you say."

She was ignoring the issue.

"I'm not lying," I repeated darkly. "And you are insane if you can't remember that night."

"What's done is done," she sighed. Then she looked out the windshield. "You are coming home now, and you need to accept that. The sooner you do, the better off we'll be."

"You waited too long," I told her. "You shouldn't have come back. I was already doing better!"

"Well, I couldn't very well let you run off and spread those nasty rumors about me and your step-father like you were doing. I thought you had let it go, but obviously you still need the attention from me. That is why I decided to give you another chance."

"I don't need you!"

"Don't be silly, Rosebud," she laughed dully. "Of course you do. We are alike, you and I."

I laughed this time. "Fuck! I hope not."

She didn't find it amusing. "It is time for us to let go of the past and move on, Rose. You were making a spectacle of yourself and I am tired of covering up for you, pretending that you were just some spoiled teenager that I could not handle. If you carry on like this, you will end up alone, I'm warning you…"

"I wasn't alone," I argued, thinking of one member of the Cullen family in particular.

"No. You were sent to the middle of nowhere with the Von Trapp family for the summer. For goodness sake Rosalie, that is not where you belong. Those people will only bring you down, make you a commoner — some average Jane. No! You belong with me. I am your mother, and that is supposed to stand for something. We are a team, and I won't let you ruin your future!"

She seemed a little bit pissed at me now for some reason — more so than before. She was not in keeping with her passive-aggressive act as much.

I didn't think very long about what she was really getting at because I was still annoyed that she wouldn't admit what Royce did to me."You know what he did! You were there when he — you were there and you didn't stop him!" I insisted, my voice sounding weaker than I intended.

"Cut the dramatics, Rose. You will only make yourself look foolish in front of others if you choose to continue on with this charade of yours. You can lie all you want to-"

"Fuck you!" I spat at her.

I felt her palm hit my face before I could shield myself. By the time my hand came up to touch my cheek, it was starting to prickle and heat up. I knew my mouth was gaping, but I really was shocked, and there was nothing I could do to repress my feelings. It had been a long time since I had been slapped.

"I_ said_… I won't tolerate rudeness," she repeated slowly giving me a stern glare. Her eyes told me that she was serious about me keeping my mouth shut about Royce. "You can swear all you like, but not at me. Is that understood?"

I glared at her, tempted to test her out, but then again… I already knew her, so I knew she was not bluffing. She would slap me again if I cussed back.

"Is that understood?" She required an answer. I gritted my teeth harder and managed to move my head slightly. It was the only agreement I could muster.

"You can be as stubborn as you'd like, Rose, but this is how it is going to be. I am your mother. I am the boss. And you _will_ do as I say."

And that was the end of that.

* * *

The rest of the trip back to the city was quiet. I decided to shut up so Lily would get back on the road and drive. I didn't need for her to continue to tell me that she forgave _me_ — the nerve!

She apologized for slapping me, saying that she was overwhelmed by everything that was happening. I nearly choked on my own saliva when she told me that _she_ was overwhelmed.

_What a self-centered bitch!_

I knew I could be self-centered sometimes — and I felt bad about it now — but this took the cake. I was the one who had gone to hell and back, not her!

Only, I wasn't sure that this was not hell… I actually missed that tiny little box that the Cullens called "the cabin." I missed the pine smell and the sound of, well… people. There had never been a quiet moment living with the Cullens. Now I was sitting in my new room, trimmed with all the luxuries Lily had always promised me as a child, but it was too big and too empty without Alice and Bella getting in my way. It was ironic that I felt this way. I would not admit it to them if they were here, but I missed them.

I felt more alone now than ever before.

Lily had already left me to get settled while she went out to pick up something for dinner. It was nice to know some things didn't change — she never could cook a decent meal. I thought about leaving the house to piss her off, but I didn't have any money and needed to eat. I had become accustomed to three square meals a day with fresh, prepared snacks in between. Esme had always insisted we eat if we were hungry… Lily hadn't even packed us food for the road trip! I had skipped breakfast so it had been a whole day since I last ate, and my insides ached to be nourished.

I didn't snoop around too much — the house was so bland and neat compared to the Cullens' cluttered cabin. I just sat in my room and fiddled with my cell phone, knowing that I could not call Emmett until tomorrow evening because they would not arrive in Ithaca until then. I had the cabin number too, but it was too long distance and it felt too soon to be calling them anyway. I didn't want to bother them. I had done such a thorough job of pushing them away that I wanted to keep them away.

Emmett was in on it, but promised to not interfere with how I wanted the part with his family. He had insisted, and I foolishly agreed, we should continue our 'friendship' long distance. He was sure we would be together again, and I wanted to believe him. Even if Lily was determined to keep me, she could not hold onto me forever — in three years I would be eighteen. Until then, Emmett and I had an understanding that he would not let his family know how miserable I was, and in return, I would be completely honest with him. That seemed fair.

I had to admit that the new house in Rochester was gorgeous. It was located in a nice, high-end neighborhood, and there was a black iron gate around the property, keeping others out. Or to keep me in perhaps — I couldn't be too sure of my mother's intentions. I was nervous about there being security cameras in the house. I had seen one or two outside already.

Lily was hard to read. It wasn't like she was doing anything outwardly terrible to me... She was being Lily.

I could not very well complain to others about my wonderful new bedroom with the canopy bed and the flat screen and all the furnishings that matched. I had it all according to an outsider's perspective. I was a spoiled rich kid now, and it was hard to think someone so beautiful and well-off could have any serious problems.

My phone shook in my hand and I yelped and dropped it on the bed. It bounced and fell to the floor and continued to vibrate around on the brand new, plush carpet. I scrambled to the floor to retrieve it and saw Emmett's name flashing on the display. He had taught me how to use the phone, but it was still new to me.

I hesitantly pressed the little green telephone button and put the cell to my ear. I could hear a lot of noise from the other end — plinking and ringing and a lot of voices in the distance.

"Em?"

"Rose! Are you okay?" he asked me, sounding just about as desperate as I was to hear his voice. "Are you in Rochester yet? How was the drive? Was she okay to you? Did she treat you properly?"

"I'm fine," I told him. "I— She's the same, Em. She's gone to get dinner now and I'm just sitting here, waiting for her to come back. I am_ so_ glad you called!"

"Me too! I wasn't sure I should call so soon, but I couldn't wait! I'm glad you're safe. I can't stop thinking about you, babe."

"I can't stop thinking about you either," I admitted freely. I could hardly hear him over all the background noise, though. "Where are you?"

"At the arcade," he replied, practically yelling into the phone so I could hear him. "I agreed to drive us kids to town for some… fun. I think we would all rather be home, with mom and dad right now, but mom looked ready to crack so…"

"You are alone? Who's with you right now?" I asked him, worried that someone might be eavesdropping.

"It's just me. Bella and Edward are playing air hockey and Alice and Jasper are having some kind of dance off on _Dance Revolution_."

"Oh. Okay…"

"But you are fine then? Really? I was so worried about you. You have no idea how crazy I've been! You remember that if she lays a finger on you-"

"Everything is fine, Em. She is just how I remember her, but the house is great... She is treating me like royalty for some reason — maybe all the guilt. You should see this bedroom!" It was all I could say. I would not tell him that she slapped me. It would only upset him and enrage him. And I was not lying — not technically. Telling him my room was well set up with a full theater was something he could at least feel happy about.

"Good for you, babe! You enjoy it. That bitch owes you lifetimes of guilt gifts for what she did. Milk it and don't you forget who she really is!"

"I won't," I peeped. I felt sad all of sudden. Knowing he was so far away and we could not talk on the phone indefinitely made my stomach sink and my head spin.

"What are you guys going to do tonight?" I asked. I was eager to know about them all for some reason.

"Uh... Well, this is not as fun as it should be, but we need to kill some more time before we head back. Mom and Dad are packing up and need some alone time, I think. We'll play a few more games here and then we will pick up some ice cream for mom before we go home. You know — that cherry chocolate kind she likes so much. It might… Well, maybe she will appreciate the thought."

He was so sweet.

"I think she will love you for it," I answered.

The phone cut out and then back in and I realized he must have been on a pay phone because I heard him swear under his breath something about change.

"I have to go, Rose. Uh…" he told me quickly. "…I miss you so much."

"I miss you too," my voice managed to squeak out the words as my emotions got the best of me and tears began to fall.

"Hang in there, Rose. I will call you as soon as I am home, I promise."

I wished I could stop crying to answer, but it was impossible. I didn't want him to go.

"Bye for now, Rose," he told me urgently. "I love you."

I wanted to say it back. It was not for lack of trying. The words were just stuck somewhere between my head and my mouth.

Before I could even offer a gurgle of response, the phone cut out on his end and I collapsed into a heap on the floor.

Through my wild, broken sobs I managed to say, "I love you. I love you! I love you," back into dead receiver.

It was too late, he was already gone.

* * *

I only got one of my bags unpacked. It was hard to imagine that I would have to live here as it was — unpacking made it seem much too real to me and it was taking me a long time to go through each item in my bag. I had not fully recovered from my chat with Emmett yet and I didn't want to start crying again. Everything seemed to remind me of him. The shirt I wore when we first kissed, the bikini he liked, and the flavored lip gloss her pretended to hate, but secretly he enjoyed the taste of. I couldn't find my favorite jean shorts, though…

Lily returned back at the house fifteen minutes after the devastatingly depressing phone call. Too bad it was not enough time to cover up from my emotional outburst. My face was still uncharacteristically blotchy.

"You've been crying," Lily pointed out over the large dining room table that we sat across each other at. I stuffed my mouth with a big leaf of lettuce and gave her a scornful gaze.

She had brought back salads instead of any real food. I never used to question her doing this before, but I guess at age eleven I was not thinking about how absurd it was that a grown woman couldn't make a simple salad on her own. All it was is a bunch of veggies and some dressing, but she had paid twelve dollars each for restaurant take-out. And these salads tasted terrible! However, I was so hungry that I was determined to eat the whole thing.

"You know how I feel about tears, Rosalie," she sighed as if I had truly disappointed her. "It is a useless dramatic."

There was no good response to that. Of course I knew that she didn't like it, but I was not quite as strong as I used to be. I cared about more than just myself now. The Cullens had made me mushy — they let me cry whenever I wanted and never made me feel badly for it.

"Crying won't fix any of your problems, Rose. You have picked up some bad habits, it seems."

I didn't say anything. In a way, I knew she was right, but I didn't want to think about how hopeless my situation was.

"When you were a little girl you wouldn't cry for any reason," Lily continued.

"Things change," I croaked, my voice horribly pitched as it adjusted to making sound. "I've changed."

"Mm!" she laughed, delicately wiping her mouth with a napkin. Her face smiled, but it was not to comfort me. "I can see that! For one thing, you are even more beautiful than you were as a child — I always knew you would make a lovely teen. And I was right... You are absolutely stunning to look at."

Her smile faded and she put her fork down. "Unfortunately, you've let yourself go and you've lost confidence, Rose. I have no doubt that those hicks tried to tell you that it is what is on the inside that counts and so on… But we both know that is a load of crap! You want to survive in this world? You've got to use your assets. It's as simple as that!"

"Please stop talking," I mumbled at the table. I meant to only mouth the words, but she heard me.

"Your hair is not styled, your eye makeup is smudged, your lips are pale, and you've been in the sun too much. That is not the girl I raised. What is going on with you?"

I looked at her dully, my eyes tired and burning, but I was able to hold my tears.

"Oh, come on, Rose," she sang. "No one likes a sulk. I don't want to see any more red eyes or blotchy complexion from you. Hale women do not cry. You got that?"

I glared at her again, chewing my spinach thoroughly. Esme had somehow made spinach taste amazing, but this was dry and leafy tasting…

"Look," she offered, "I don't want to harp on you, but you have to get over this, Rose. I am not the enemy here. Cheer up, for Christ's sake!"

I felt all my favorite words form on my tongue, but I decided not to use them. She had the potential to make my life hell if she wanted to. I gave her what was more of a confused look and then shoved more food in my mouth.

"We can go shopping tomorrow for some new school clothes," she told me, changing the topic. "Won't that be fun?"

"I have clothes," I told her bitterly.

"No. You have shorts and tank tops. You need a proper wardrobe. Really, Rose. We can afford it. Anything your heart desires… it is all yours!" She beamed at me excitedly. I knew that it had always been her dream to be wealthy.

I was too hurt and confused to think about how she had managed to become so rich so fast, but it was not important in the moment. I just wanted her to shut up. "Fine," I agreed. And I would take her up on it. I would pick out the most expensive of everything if she was willing to pay for it!

"Lovely," she preened. "Oh, and I have a wonderful surprise for you!" I didn't bite, but she continued to tell me about it anyway. "Tomorrow morning I have made you an appointment for some headshots to be taken. Ford Models is looking for young girls for the fall and winter season and I told a friend of mine about you and they insisted they could get you an interview with a rep."

"You what?" I choked on some lettuce. I coughed forcefully a few times, trying to relieve my discomfort. I had no seen that one coming — though, I should have. Lily liked any attention she could get.

"You've always wanted to model, baby. Isn't that exciting?" Lily questioned me. My coughing fit and disgust were clearly not the response she had been hoping for. "This is your big chance. I thought you'd be happy."

"_You've _always wanted me to model," I corrected her. "And what? Now, because you are too old to whore it up first class, you expect me to come home and be your perfect, model daughter? Life doesn't work that way!"

"You are way out of line," she warned me. "This is a fresh start for us. This will be a good thing, you'll see. You will be a star, Rose." The gleam in her eye was not for me.

"We can't pretend that the past didn't happen," I shouted. "We can't magically become a normal family just because you decided that you wanted a do over!"

"Watch your tone, Rose. I'm doing this all for you — to give you all the opportunities that I never had. You should be grateful for this chance."

"That's real sick! You are so shallow. You have no idea how wrong this is… That is how shallow you are!" I yelled at her. "You only want me now, because of what I can do for you. This will get you loads of attention, won't it? You couldn't have a daughter out there who was more successful than you, that is why you wanted me back. So you could have a piece of any of my future success. That is so sick!"

"Are you done?" she asked passive-aggressively. She was calm, yet fury burned behind her glaring eyes. "You are going to do as I tell you, Rose. You had better get that into your head or I can make your life a living hell. That cell phone of yours is a privilege, one I will let you keep, but only if you keep up your end of things. Do you understand me?"

It was rhetorical. She was threatening me.

"I am not fooled. I saw how that big, dark haired boy looked at you this morning. You seem to be under the impression that counts for something, and I won't come between you two unless if becomes a problem, but you had better be on your best behavior, Rose. This is serious business. If you want to make it big, then you will do as I say. I'm your mother — I know what is best for you."

I clenched my jaw tighter. She seemed to take pleasure in her power over me.

"I'm not asking you to doing anything crazy — it's some modeling, Rose," she said pleasantly. "I expect you to get up tomorrow with a better attitude."

I sank back in my chair, giving up. I hated to do as she wanted, but I knew that an opportunity to get a contract with Ford Models was a big one. It would be good for me if I ever wanted to transition into acting or singing — it was a way to be noticed. "Fuck!" I swore out loud in frustration. "How did you get me an interview with Ford, anyway?"

"Mr. Peck called me about a month ago, asking about you so I-"

"Donald Peck?" I interrupted her.

Lily smiled at me impatiently. She didn't like it when others spoke over her. But I had to sort this out!

"You talked to Pecker?" I asked her again. "I saw him. He was in Blue Mountain a few weeks ago and…" I stopped to think about it. Lily wiped her mouth with her napkin and watched me haughtily.

It was starting to make more sense. It had not been a coincidence that I ran into him up there. He had been looking for me — a spy from my mother. "You sent him to see me?" I accused. "To spy on me and check me out?"

"Don't be so dramatic, Rosalie. It was not like that at all. He called me up a month ago and asked about you. I mentioned you were staying up North for the summer. The stupid fool would not let it go for some reason — he seems to think you have a lot of potential to make a name for yourself. He remembered you wanted to be an actress or singer — or whatever — and was eager to know how you were doing with that goal. I couldn't tell him what you did and that you were no longer living with me so-"

"What_ I_ did?"

"Don't start that again, Rose," she told me firmly. "We are not placing blame here."

I scowled at her. "What are we doing here then?"

My mother picked up her fork and stabbed a cucumber with it. "I'm giving you the life that you deserve, Rosebud. You should be thanking me."

"You mean you and Pecker are in on this together? Is that why he was so interested in me? He wants me as a client? I should have known…"

"Nothing has been decided as of yet, Rose. Don't get ahead of yourself."

"You sent someone to spy on me. Sorry if that creeps me out a little!"

"It was not spying. He mentioned he was heading up North for a trip and it was around the time that I was filing paperwork with the lawyer. I let him know that you were staying up there with friends for the summer, and he took it upon himself to look you up while he was up there. Believe me, I didn't want him to know you were living with those strangers. It was embarrassing."

"You are so fucking shallow!" I told her. "They're good people!"

"That is not the point, Rose."

"Donald said he had not seen you in years!" I recalled what he had said that day to me in the parking lot. It was all so shady, but with Lily, it had always been that way.

"He lied." She shrugged. "It is business, Rose, nothing else. He called me, after he ran into you, to tell me that your 'father' had been quite protective of you," she said with an eyebrow raised. "I had a hard time explaining that one to him!"

I wanted to get up and slap the smugness of her face. It was like she was insulting Carlisle and for some reason that sparked something fierce inside me.

"Pecker was being a pervert. Carlisle was only trying to protect me!"

Lily disregarded the emotion and fight behind my comment as she continued. "Pecker was a bit upset about that, but I managed to appease him with a deal. He has agreed to help you with your career, and he made a few calls to some big names here in New York for me."

"So, that's it then?" I asked. "I have to do this?"

She smiled and nodded. "It is quite exciting, Rose. It is going to be a good thing for us, I can feel it!"

She was way too happy about this. _Could she not see how selfish she was being?_ It was not about me. It was about her!

"Whatever."

I was finished with my salad. I had eaten everything but the onions.

"If you are done eating, then you should go to bed," Lily suggested. "I want you well rested for the shoot tomorrow. I told the photographer we wanted beauty shots, just your face, and then some head and shoulders as well. I put some cream on the counter in your bathroom. Remember to put some on before you go to bed, please. It will help with the puffiness."

I got up, leaving my plate on the table for her to clean up, and left the room before I lost it. I was glad she was insisting I go to bed. I could only think of one other place I would rather be, but sleep would have to be the next best thing.

* * *

I found the cream she had told me about and washed my face before applying some all over, but especially under my eyes. She was a bitch, but she had been right — I had let myself go. I looked like crap!

I sighed when I saw myself in the big, bathroom mirror. I was not quite sure who I was anymore. I used to want to be this Rose — the one with all the nice things, a big fancy house, adoration from others over my good looks…

But now I was yearning for something a lot less glamorous and far more confusing...

Love.

This summer had been about love. I had never known what real love was until now. It had taken me two months to finally realize it, but I truly loved the Cullens. I loved them all — not just Emmett.

It was a bittersweet epiphany.

Mechanically, I brushed my teeth and then slipped out of my clothing. Then, I went to find pajamas, which of course were not unpacked yet, so I was forced to open up the second duffle bag. I tried not to look at the items and think too much about what I had been doing the last time I had used them — that would only make me cry again.

I ruffled through the top few items in the bag and pulled out some shorts and a top. As I tugged them out though, something distinctively orange and fluffy same out with the pajamas. It fell right into my lap.

I sat there, stunned, starting at the orange fleecy material for the longest time. In slow motion I picked up it and hugged it tightly. My eyes closed and a shaky breath escaped from my lungs. It was Alice's stupid, orange dog that she never slept without.

My heart ached for her — she would have to sleep without it tonight — but I was grateful to have something to hold onto. I didn't bother putting on my pajamas. I feared letting go of this safe feeling.

Instead, I slipped into bed in only my under garments and the dog still in my grasp. I held the stuffed toy snuggly to my chest, keeping my eyes shut firmly.

I would have to dream myself away from this place.

To Be Continued…

* * *

_**Who do you think won that battle? What do you make of Lily's intentions for Rosalie?**_

_Coming up Next- Find out how the Cullen family is doing a month after Rosalie's departure. Carlisle takes the time to have a heart to heart with Emmett about Rosalie.  
_

_**Thank you for Reading!**_

_Next chapter will be posted on Monday, Oct 4th. _


	30. Chapter 30 Waiting Game

_Thank you to my skilled beta readers, Catharticone and RandomSugarRush for all their help. :)_

_Disclaimer: I'm only borrowing Stephanie Meyer's characters and making them human for this story... no copyright infringement intended._

_

* * *

_**Thorns**

**Chapter Thirty**

October 7th, 2009, Wednesday...

"I am so sorry."

"No," she told me for the third time. The young mother's face twisted and that told me that she knew I was telling her the truth, but she still didn't want to believe me. Her husband's eyes were wet and tearful, yet they didn't leave my face. He was so hurt, so angry and I knew that he hated me. I was the last person he wanted to see right now. Only his little girl's bright happy face would fix this... and that was not the reality. I had not been successful in saving her today.

"But... t-the other g-girl," the mother stammered, "S-she had d-drowned too a-a-and she sur-vived..."

The two girls had skipped out on their classes and went for a ride in a relative's motorboat. According to the witnesses on the scene, the boat had been going too fast and in a sharp turn it flipped over, throwing both teens overboard. Witnesses got to them as fast as they could, but both girls had been pulled out of the water unconscious — too much time had gone by — and neither one had a pulse.

Down the hall in another room, a family was relieved that their child had survived this tragic accident. Her heart _had_ restarted after gruelling efforts to reviver her and despite the trauma her body has been through, _she_ would live. _That_ family was thanking God for a miracle.

What was I going to say to this mother, though? That the other girl had merely been lucky? That she had better care? Or that she had a better doctor working on her? Some many apologies ran through my mind. There was nothing I could say that would make sense out of this tragedy.

"Why her?" Jenna's mother pleaded. I was not sure if he was asking me personally. "W-why Jenna?" I had already been through the harsh realities of Jenna's accident and fight for survival. They didn't really want me to repeat that part over again.

She looked at me despairingly, like I could reverse the outcome by speaking it. I would not want to hear what it was I was saying either, but...

I sighed and pulled my hand through my hair once — it was habit when I was feeling stressed. Jenna was gone.

Sadly, it was a part of my job that I had to be responsible for. I had to tell the truth no matter how grim. Someone had to tell these parents that their child had not made it. It was the worst part of any day like today.

It never got easier.

I never got used to telling someone that their loved had simply ceased to be living.

There was nothing I could say to make a miracle happen here. So, I said the only thing I could say in my position, as their worst nightmare played out.

It physically hurt to speak. "I am very sorry for your loss," I extended my sympathies again. This time the mother clung to the shirt of her husband and buried her face into his chest, letting the reality set in and her sobs loose. He was still staring me, not blinking. He swallowed and gave me a short nod. He wanted to be alone with his wife.

My words had been sincere — I was so very sorry that I had not been able to save the life of her their daughter. I felt like a failure, though my training had tried to instill into me that I was not. There had been nothing more I could do — rationally, I knew this.

Still... I was the one who had spent an hour trying to resuscitate the young girl. A lot of my colleagues would not have gone on for so long, but for children I always gave them more time to pull through. I would try to resign to my faith and trust that it had been her time to leave this place. It was all I could to ease my guilt of failure.

It was hard to get past an event so emotionally trying. A whole hour, and every resource I could think of... and now it was over. _That's it? What's done is done? _At the end of a shift like this one, that was not enough.

As I walked away from the ER, I felt so many emotions bubble inside me. But mostly I felt fear and sudden panic to see my own children. I had not spoken with them since yesterday morning before I had left for a double shift. I had been here overnight and this morning when I called home, they were already rushing to catch the bus, so I had not gotten to tell them that I loved them.

I had been off an hour ago, but I could not have left without speaking with those parents. I knew Esme was expecting me home, though she would understand why I was late — she always understood.

I didn't bother to change out of my scrubs. I shoved my stethoscope in my locker, along with my ID bag and a few other things in my front pocket, and then grabbed my wallet and coat to leave.

I was mindful of traffic on the drive home, but I could not remember the journey spent.

When I finally reached our two car garage, I hurried out from the vehicle and into the house as fast as I could. My shoes were off, without undoing the laces first, and I kicked them aside out of the way before I jogged up the stairs to the main floor. I could smell dinner cooking and the warmth in the air as I reached the top of the staircase. It helped to ease the ache a bit already.

Next, I heard voices... And that calmed my nerves even more. My family was close.

"Daddy!" Alice's voice was loud, but the most welcoming sound I had heard all day. I held out my arms and waited for her to jump in them. Before I could blink she was there, her warm arms wrapped around my neck and her hair tickling my nose as she gave me my hug.

"Hey baby," I whispered airily. "How was your day?"

She let go of my neck and I held her steady, her legs were around my waist to hold herself up and my hands on her back so she wouldn't fall. She studied me carefully — and I tried not to let it show — but her face fell and she cupped my cheeks with her dainty, little hands.

"Don't be sad, Daddy. We're all okay."

I had to fight not to cry. "Thank you, sweet-pea," I told her. I learned into her and kissed her forehead. "That is exactly what I needed to hear."

Alice cracked a smile... And I did too.

"I told Mommy you would be late, but not late enough to eat without you, so we waited."

"Oh, that sounds lovely. Thank you, angel," I told her and I placed her to the carpeted floor and she skipped off, calling out to let everyone know that I was home. It was a wonderful feeling.

"Hey, Dad," Edward greeted me as I made my way past the living room and found him on the floor, leaning against the couch with a notebook in his lap. Bella was sitting on the couch above him with a book in her hands and she put it down to greet me as I kissed the top of her head. I reached down to ruffle Edward's untamed hair.

I asked them about their day and they told me that everything was fine. They both had a midterm the next morning so I left them where I found him so they could continue studying.

I could not believe it was five weeks back to school already. The time had seemed so slow, each day dragged on, it seemed, but now it was fall and everything was back to how it was last year at this time. Only, the kids were still not over what happened with Rosalie, they missed having her around. I knew it was harder on some of them than others...

I bypassed the kitchen and made a detour down the hall to Jasper's room to see how he was doing. When I was finished there, I found Emmett's door locked and he was chatting softly, to who I could only imagine was Rosalie. I didn't disturb him, and I only listened in for a short moment to hear his voice. Then I gave him some privacy.

Every evening those two were on the phone for hours. Esme and I would normally restrict the phone time that the kids had on school nights because they had homework and sometimes sports or lessons that came first... But this case was different. It was Rosalie he was talking to. I doubt I could get him off that phone with her if I tried. It was past supper now, and he was still locked away in his room. That told me that he and Rosalie were more than just friends — more than siblings. Esme had been right all along about the two of them. I guess I had been too close to see it then, but now I could see clearly…

They were in love.

Even though I was not entirely sure I approved of their relationship, I was not going to stop it. I only cautioned Emmett to be careful — Rosalie was going through a very rough time right now. Her mother had her so busy with modeling, voice lessons, and acting classes that Emmett had only been able to see her twice in the last month. Both times, he had made the trip to Rochester and met up with Rosalie for a few hours and then he came back in a worse mood than he had been in before he had gone to see her.

I was like pulling hens teeth to get him to share details with us about how Rosalie was doing. Rosalie was still adamant that she didn't want to talk to us on the phone or see us in person. We didn't press it, knowing it was a hard thing for her.

Emmett did say that the house Lillian owned was a nice one — clean and neat — and Rosalie was looking well and he hadn't suspected anything to be going on in their home that was illegal. In fact, Emmett was pissed off that every time he saw Rose or tried to call her, Lily would interfere. She was concerned about their relationship too, it seemed. I couldn't believe she would have the tenacity to worry about how my son would treat her daughter after what she had exposed Rosalie to as a child. It was ridiculous!

I had a quick shower to try and wash my day off me. It usually helped to make me feel better if I could get out of the scrubs and into my casual clothes and my favorite slippers. Esme would fold a fresh t-shirt and pants and place them on the bench at the end of our bed for me to find. The slippers were there, under the bench waiting for me too.

Esme was doing better, but only because she absorbed herself in her work and the chores she did for the family. She was always taking care of us, but she had become a lot more meticulous these past five weeks. However… she was smiling more and she only cried herself to sleep on occasion now. That was an improvement. I couldn't stand to see her cry. It was hard to see her in pain.

I could still picture her the way I found her that day… I had come in for a glass of water and saw here there — her face drained of color and blood splattered around her where she sat slumped up against the cabinets. The fear that went through me then had been like a thousand daggers right to my chest. I couldn't breathe until she came to and was able to respond to her name. For nearly a minute, she had not responded. And that minute would replay in my mind whenever I saw her crying now. I couldn't bear losing her like that again.

All I could do was hold her — to let her know that I loved her. It was scarcely enough, I felt, but it was all I could do. I was getting so tired of not being about to fix things…

I was quiet entering the kitchen, not wanting to disturb her. She looked almost happy as she chopped up some chives. Her body swayed a bit, and she hummed. She was so beautiful.

The smell of food made my mouth fill with saliva. Or, it could have been the sight of her. While her back was turned I took a peek in the bowl nearest — it was a cucumber salad. I watched her sprinkle the greens over of a bowl of steaming vegetables and decided one bite of salad while she was not looking would be okay…

"Hey hon!" She greeted me as I was about to steal a cucumber out of the bowl. My hand lowered guiltily and I smiled back at her and gave up. A giggle bubbled out of her. She probably knew I was there the whole time too.

"This smells wonderful. You didn't have to hold dinner for me. Thank you for doing so but you didn't have to-"

"I would rather we all ate as a family if possible. Alice said…" Esme didn't finish the sentence. A smile curled up her face and she gave a short laugh. "Well, we knew you would be home soon, dear. It was not a problem to wait an hour. The kids had a snack after school."

I slipped in behind her to get the plates, but she turned and stopped me. She brought my arms down and then hers slid under mind and around my back and she placed her head on my chest. "Bella set the table already," she explained with a sigh as my arms copied hers and I touched my cheek to the top of her warm crown. Her hair smelled like lilacs and coconut. I breathed it all in, getting drunk off her delicious scent.

"Rough day?" she guessed.

She was good at sensing when I was feeling vulnerable. I was always happy to be home — always ready to kiss her and hold her whenever I could — but I was a bit more needy about it when I had a bad day at work. Perhaps I was holding her too tightly now. I had no idea how long I had been holding her — maybe that was how she knew.

She should know that she and the kids meant the world to me. They were the reason I got up every morning and who I wanted to come home to every night. "There is no place like home," I murmured.

I didn't want to tell her about the child who died in the ER today. It was not something I wanted to concern her with — it was too grim. She had plenty of her own worries when it came to our kids. Thank goodness they were healthy and safe at home with us tonight. All but one…

She hesitated for a moment and then told me, "The high school called…"

I tried not to react. Maybe they were calling to tell us how well-mannered and hard working our children were. That would be nice…

"…Emmett wasn't in his math class today," she continued. Of course they would not call unless there was a problem. "Apparently he stormed out a few minutes after class started. He never returned, but he did show up to the rest of his classes on time."

"Okay... So where was he during that one class then? Did you ask him about it?"

"Mmhmm," she nodded. "And he owned up to it, said that Rosalie had texted him and was upset about some photo shoot thing. He was worried about her and couldn't wait until after school to call her back."

I pursed my lips and tried to understand this. Esme sighed and pulled back from my arms. She looked just as uncertain as I did. We couldn't ignore him cutting classes to make phone calls to girls — even if it was Rosalie. "What should we do?" I asked.

"Well…" she contemplated a moment. "I didn't have the heart to take away his phone. I knew I should have, but… It's the only contact he — that_ we_ have — to Rosalie. She never calls the house!" Esme was a bit worked up over this fact. I nodded and stroked my hands up and then down her spine softly. "I told him that if it happens again we will take his phone away — I warned him! And he knows he had better make up for what he missed in class!"

That seemed fair, I suppose. Emmett was not the most studious of our bunch, though he did make the effort to show up and try his best at school. I didn't want him to be skipping out on classes regularly, but it this was the first time that we knew of. Esme had handled it as best as she could under the circumstances.

I kissed her and then confirmed what she had just told me. "So… We are only giving a warning this time? And no further punishment?"

She bit her lip and then agreed with me. "Unless you think we should be tougher on him?"

"No… as long as it is clear with him that if it happens again there will be consequences."

Esme agreed just as the timer on the oven went off. "Oh, that's the roast!" she sang, thus ending our parental conference to move on to our evening meal. I was starving and I am sure the rest of them were too after having waited over an hour for me to come home.

"It smells wonderful," I told her. Then, I helped her carry the dishes to the table and called the kids to join us.

* * *

"Let me see! Let me see!" I heard Alice squeal.

It was a few hours later, dinner had passed uneventfully. Esme inquired about Rosalie and Emmett gave a very brief update about some of the photo shoots she had been involved with. It was not the detail that Esme had hoped for — she was curious what was so important that he had left class for, but she had not asked him straight out. And he didn't volunteer anything, but I could see that he was very troubled. He was stewing in his own misery — so much so that he only ate one plate at dinner. I could swear he was losing weight...

I was worried about him.

"Whoa!" Edward proclaimed as I joined the kids in the family room where they were watching some television and hanging out. Edward had Emmett's phone in his hand and he gawked at it. Bella was glaring at him as she pulled his arm down to take a look for herself.

"She looks like she is twenty or something!" Bella stated grimly.

"I wanna see!" Alice repeated, jumping up on the balls of her feet to try to catch a glimpse.

"You have to admit, though," Edward suggested to Bella, "She looks like a model in that photo."

"Anyone can sit there and pose for a photo," she argued. "So what? She's pretty! We already knew that." She snatched the phone and handed it to Alice, who took it eagerly.

"Oooo… so pretty," Alice cooed, staring intently at the lit up cell screen. "She looks like a real model!"

"She is a real model!" Emmett grumbled, snatching his phone away from his little sister. He paused to look at the screen before he closed up phone and put it away in his pocket. His eyes met mine and he turned away and sat down in the lazy boy.

"Is that a new headshot?" I asked, trying to include myself in the conversation. It was not like I meant to be eavesdropping. I had been there the whole time — they had just not acknowledged my presence yet.

"It's a real photo shoot, Daddy!" Alice shared. "It's for a magazine — with designer clothing and make up and jewelry and everything!" Of course Alice was elated. Rosalie was living out her dream.

"May I see?" I inquired. It didn't hurt to ask. I watched Emmett's eyes flicker in panic, but he sighed and slipped his hand into his pocket reluctantly.

"It's no big deal," he told me, poking around with a few buttons on his phone and then he passed it to me. "It's for some new brand of teen clothing or something."

I was about to give the same response as Edward had. Wow, did she look mature — and absolutely stunning! She really did have the lines and the face for modeling. She looked angry, though — and pouty — but it seemed to fit in with dark tones of the clothing and the mood that was set.

"Wow," I said flatly, trying to find my true feelings on the subject. It was so strange to look at her this way. I choked a bit on what I was going to say next as I handed the phone back to Emmett. "How — Uh… How is she liking... modeling?"

Emmett shrugged and shook his head. "She hates getting up early for it. The pay is good and she is getting a lot of jobs, which she is proud of, I guess. Some of the people she has to deal with are slimy, though — I know she wishes she had a different agent. That asshole, Peck, is involved — she says he is always there at her shoots and he wants to take credit for discovering her. Her mother is trying to fire him, but he is making a lot of trouble for them."

"Who's…?" It hit me and I didn't have to finish. It was the man who had approached Rosalie outside of Shelley's clinic that day. That man was trouble. He had a lecherous and greedy eye for Rosalie — I was right not to have trusted him.

"She was really upset about it," he whispered down into the carpet, his hands clenched to the armrests where he sat. He was so tense I could envision the armrests being ripped right off if his anger grew. I knew he was worried about her, but I needed to understand why…

"Would you kids mind leaving us for a few minutes," I asked of the others, "I need to speak with Emmett, please."

When they had all gone, I sat down on the edge of the coffee table facing him. "You think she is in real danger?" I asked him.

He closed his eyes and covered them with one of his big hands for a moment. "I don't know. Maybe… I don't trust her mother. I don't trust anyone who associates with that bitch!"

"Her mother has not hurt her," I said, my head shaking — knowing that was a lie. Physically though, Rosalie was unharmed. "And she is not running any business from their home I am assuming… Rosalie would tell you if she was in that kind of danger, wouldn't she?"

"Ya!" Emmett belted. "She knows she has to tell me the moment anything shady happens! She promised she would tell me!"

I put a steady hand on his knee to try to calm him. His chest heaved as he regained some composure.

"There is nothing we can do until then, Em. I know you are worried about her — and you miss her, but-"

"It is not enough, Dad," he told me pleadingly. "We are just sitting here waiting for something bad to happen."

"What if nothing bad happens?" I asked him, trying to be reasonable. "What if Lillian's intentions are true this time and she wants to be a better mother to Rosalie?"

"That's bull and you know it! She is using her!"

"Perhaps… but we do not have proof of that and all we can do is look out for Rosalie and support her from afar. She knows we care about her, doesn't she?" I really wanted to know if he had been passing on our messages of love to her. Emmett's large brown eyes were glossy and sincere when they looked back at me. He nodded.

"She knows." His admission put pressure on my chest that I couldn't swallow down. I pressed onward…

"We do not know something bad will happen, Son."

"Alice…" He didn't finish that sentence right away. I wanted him to be able to tell me if it would make him feel better so I waited patiently until he was ready to try again. I could see it was hard for him to confide in me, but that he wanted to tell me none-the-less.

"You can tell me."

"Well, Alice said…" he said with a pause. "…When Rosalie needs me, she will call. And that is when I have to help her. When she is in serious trouble, Rosalie will make a phone call — that is what Alice said! She had a dream about it."

"I see... And you trust Alice's dream?" It was not that I didn't find it uncanny either, but it was just a dream, after all.

"I dunno, Dad, but it has me freakin' out! I can't sleep properly because every sound I hear I think it might be her calling. I have to check my phone constantly when I am awake, in case I missed a call from her. I don't want to not be ready when she needs me!"

If he was anyone else but my son, I would have been concerned on another level. I would have suggested that it was unhealthy for him to worry so much.

However, seeing as I knew all the contribution factors in this case, I could understand how he would be on edge. "Alice said it was a dream, though…" I tried to rationalize it.

"I trust Alice, Dad. She would not have told me about it if she didn't think it was important for me to know."

I didn't know what else to say. Emmett could tell that I had run out of supportive, constructive things to say to glaze over the predicament he was in. He stood up and told me, "I'm sorry I missed class today."

"I know you are," I told him, accepting his apology. I would have been more upset if he had cut class to go to the mall or goof off with his friends, but this was not the case. "Your heart was in the right place." I tried to offer him a smile, but it was very weak.

"I don't know about that, Dad," he sadly stated. This kind of seriousness was seldom seen in Emmett — it was sobering to witness how strong his feelings were for Rose. "I think Rose took my heart with her when she left…"

* * *

It was only eight, but I was exhausted. I didn't like to rush the task of getting the kids to bed, but I was ready to cuddle up to Esme tonight. I was downright giddy about it, actually. I made my bedroom rounds with a dopey smile plastered on my face, in spite of the troubled day I had.

Except for the younger two, the kids were generally responsible enough to put themselves to bed without our involvement. Jasper would put himself to bed, but forget to wash his face and brush his teeth sometimes so he needed some reminders. He would crawl into bed in his street clothes if we'd let him. Therefore, every night, we went over what he must do to prepare for bed. And every night he would get frustrated with one of us for doing so.

"I know!" he would tell us, grumpily huffing to the bathroom to do as he was told.

"If you know than why were you in bed _without_ your teeth brushed?" Esme repeated herself.

There was no answer from inside the bathroom. It was the same thing almost every evening.

I smiled at Esme in the hallway and then made my way to each room to say goodnight to the older kids. They would not go down for another hour or so, but were content to read or listen to music quietly until they were ready. They seemed to understand that if they didn't go to sleep at a reasonable hour, they would be tired the next day at school. They were pretty reasonable about it most nights.

Once Jasper was ready for bed, I crept in to tell him I loved him and turn off his light. "I love you too," he would say and that is how I knew that he didn't really mind our reminders. Yes, it annoyed him, but I think a part of him liked that we kept him in check.

Lastly, I stopped by Alice's room and found her in bed, with her blankets only covering her legs. She liked one of us to tuck her in. She said it made her feel safer when we did it for her. So, I happily went over and pulled her blankets up around her and made sure she was snug and warm before I bent to give her a bedtime kiss that she knew was coming. Then I turned my head so she could kiss me back.

"Good night, Daddy. Love you," she told me after her lips left my cheek.

Something inside me wanted to ask her about the dream she told Emmett about, but it might upset her right before bed. She had not been sleeping well lately and often went over to Bella's room and slept on the spare bed in there — the one we had ordered for Rosalie — so I didn't want to bring up anything that might upset her. She was hard enough time sleeping at nights without her stuffed dog. It made my eyes mist up every time I think about how kind it was of her to give it to Rosalie. I hoped that Rosalie had it beside her in bed each night.

"Love you too, pumpkin. Sleep well."

Alice looked so cozy and darling lying there cradled by all her pink and white bedding, and she in a frilly pink nightgown. I gave her an extra kiss on the forehead and stood up to leave.

I had my hand on the light switch when she piped up and said, "Daddy?"

"Yes, honey. What would you like?"

"Maybe you should sleep in clothing… just in case, okay?" She looked a bit shy requesting this. It was a bit of a peculiar thing to ask of me.

"Why, sweetie?" I asked her, stepping inside again a few feet.

She shrugged and would not look at me directly. "Just in case… Please?"

"Well, how about if I just put my clothes out beside our bed, honey? Like how your mother sets them out for me for after work… I can change very fast if I have to," I offered a compromise. I felt a bit queasy agreeing to this, but it was not like she was asking anything outrageous of me. "Will that be okay?"

Her face scrunched in thought and then she looked up at me with her large, almond shaped eyes and said, "I think so… Make sure you do, though. I don't know when, but you are going to need them."

I stepped up to her bed and pushed the hair off her forehead with my hand. "Do you want me to stay with you — and lay with you until you fall asleep?" I suggested. I would not leave her if she was troubled over something.

However, Alice shook her head and gave me a sweet smile. "No, thanks, Daddy."

"You sure, sweetie?"

She nodded again so I gave her yet another kiss — there is no such thing as too many — and we said our goodnight wishes again before I turned off her light and closed the door half-way.

The first thing I did before I got ready for bed was put out a set of clothing and a pair of shoes on the bench at the end of our bed... Just in case.

To Be Continued…

* * *

_ **Do you think Carlisle handled the chat with Emmett correctly? How about the promise he made to Alice? Should he have tried better to ease her worries instead of indulging them by agreeing? **It does fascinate me that Carlisle can have such a bad/sad day at work and come home and be such a great husband and father. That kind of thing would just wear on me until I crack and needed to curl up in a ball in bed!_

_**Thank you for reading. :)**_

_Coming up Next- A peek into a day of Rosalie's glamorous new life before it all comes crashing down!_


	31. Chapter 31 Speak of the Devil

_Thank you, Catharticone and RandomSugarRush for their ongoing support._

_Disclaimer: I'm borrowing Stephanie Meyer's characters and making them human for this story... no copyright infringement intended._

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* * *

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**Thorns**

**Chapter Thirty-One**

November 27th, 2009, Friday...

For the love of...

"Fuck!" I hated when they made me wear fake lashes! They were a nuisance and made my eyes feel tired from having to hold the lids open. And one of them was slipping already and nearly poking me in the eye. If my eyes started to tear the director would be pissed off because we'd have to touch up make up — yet again!

"Ros-a-lie! What is it, sugar?" The make-up artist asked me with his silly, made-up accent. It changed from shoot to shoot. I would roll my eyes if I could, but they hurt.

"My lashes are falling off!"

I heard the photographer sigh and Chris flounced over to me, happy to work his magic.

"I gotcha covered, lovely." And he went to work on my face with the steadiest of hands.

The dude was the most fabulous person I had ever met. At first I had been a bit startled by his closeness; he moved in on me like he was already my best friend the first time I worked with him. It was a bit alarming, but he was like a big — very feminine — brother. I had grown to like him, though we never really established that fact. He could be pissy, as could I, so we bickered a lot. It was strangely comforting to have him to rage at because he wouldn't take my crap and I would not take his.

"My fuck, girl. How did you manage this mess?" he replied as he dabbed away some of the smudged charcoal black junk that was caked under my eyes. I sighed and gave him the finger, though I didn't dare move with him and his Q-tip millimetres from my eyeball.

I liked when he came to my shoots. He was the best make-up artist there was and besides that, he took the time to get to know me when we hung out together for hours on each of these long morning photo shoots. He always asked about Emmett and school and such. The latter I preferred not to talk about — my grades were terrible. Not that it mattered as long as I passed, Lily told me.

"Suck it up, Princess. When we're through with the shoot I have a sandwich you can eat."

_Oh man... food!_ I groaned. I had forgotten how hungry I was until now.

It was true that I was thinner at the crack of dawn, so a lot of the time we would take all the photographs before or as the sun came up. And all I was allowed was a bit of water until we were through. Then I would eat a decent meal for breakfast and lunch, but only the tiniest of suppers in prep for the next day.

"Aw. Poor baby," Chris cooed and he patted my arm sympathetically and pouted for me. Then he backed off and let the shoot continue. I did my best with the director and the photographer shouting at me. Some of them were such assholes!

At the end, about a billion photos later, I was done and Chris helped me get out of the clothing that only looked good in photographs because it was pinned around me in the most flattering ways. And then he peeled off the lashes before I washed my face a few times to get it clean.

He did reward me with that sandwich he promised, and I gobbled it down like it was the first food I had in ages. He gave me smug grin.

"What? I am fuckin' starving, Chris," I explained to him. "Lily fed me a lettuce leaf for dinner last night!" It was the truth. A bit of romaine leaf with stuff on it, but still... It was lettuce!

He laughed. "She-bitch is a real piece of work, hey?"

"The spawn of Satan, I swear. Fuckin' skank!"

"Hey hey, now," he said, "she's still your momma."

"I hate her." It was as simple as that.

"She givin' you grief at home?" he asked, staring into the big mirror in the dressing room we were in as he put eyeliner on himself.

"Sort of..." I didn't want to go into details. Chris was a good confidante, but if I told him Lily's history he would still be likely to think I was some spoiled, angry teenager. I mean, it is common for girls to hate their mothers I thought. I literally hated Lily as a person, though, and not just because she was irritating as hell to be around.

Lately, she had not been around that much, except for to drive me to and from jobs and school. Recently, however, I was taking the bus during the day because she was "busy." She was not really working that much at the bank — that I could tell. She was never there when I called her for rides. She was supposed to be a manager or something, but she hardly spent time there at all. I had my suspicions she was whoring around again. I had no way of proving this, though.

"You need a ride to school, Princess?" Chris asked me when I had finished with my make-up. He studied my face critically and gave me a shrug of acceptance, though I could tell he thought he could do much better.

I accepted his offer. It was better than the city bus.

* * *

I was dropped at school almost on time. I made it through a couple classes, and then lunch hit and I was done. I decided to leave since there was nothing important to hand in today or any tests scheduled. I wanted to go home and hide in my bed.

It was November already, almost into December. Thanksgiving had passed, not like Lily and I celebrated, but I had noticed the shitty decorations posted up around the school that promoted the Fall Dance. It had come and gone — I didn't go, of course — but the banners and construction cut leaves were still up on the hallway walls.

School was a joke. News of my modeling career was known by most of the staff and all the students. It did earn me some special privileges because they thought I was some rising star in their midst. When I was late, they didn't care. When I had to retake a test or hand in homework late — they were okay with that too. No questions asked.

It was funny — or sad — but I had missed quite a few classes over the last several months and Lily was never called about it. Emmett had told me that when he missed one of his classes, Esme knew about it the moment he walked in the door after school. Lily knew too, but she never mentioned it. Sometimes she would call the school for me and other times she would do nothing — it didn't matter. Either way, no one questioned me about anything real anymore. It was always about what it was like to be me. I had always dreamed of this, but there was something very unfulfilling about the attention it got me.

A thirty minutes bus ride later, I was back at the house. I was still tired from being up so early so I went up to my room and crashed into bed — clothing and all. The early morning photo shoots, the measly diet I was on, and my depression made it a lot easier to sleep all day rather than do anything useful with my time. At least when I slept I didn't feel lonely anymore. I missed my real home...

When I woke it was dark out. I leaned up on my elbows and puffed the hair out of my face, glancing over to the clock on my nightstand. It was nearly ten o'clock!

Lily had not awakened me in time for supper! _She wasn't actually planning on starving me, was she?_ The idea got me annoyed and I decided to call her on it. Esme would never have let me miss an important meal unless I was sick or something! _What the hell was Lily playing at? _

I grumbled as I got up, perturbed I would have to find something to eat now. The fridge held only yogurt and bottled water on a good day!

The blood drained from my head as a result of standing up too fast, and I staggered a bit to the door, but by the time I was in the hallway I was fine. I regained my balance and hurried downstairs. I heard some clanks from the dining room and some voices. One was a loud, deep voice...

I stopped before I was in sight of who was there — I hoped they had not heard my footsteps coming down. As I slid down and pressed my face up to the railing just enough to take a peek inside the dining room, I could see Lily laughing. Her face was red from all the alcohol she had probably consumed. This was how I remembered her. This and the fact that she was wearing a low cut, red dress with her black, lacy bra showing a bit.

But I could not see who was across from her. I could see a bit of his hand — it was a man for sure. I was not surprised about that fact! She was probably up to her old games again, if I knew my mother.

"Shhh. Shh!" she hushed with her finger pressed to her full, red lips. She giggled. "You don't want to wake Rosebud." Ugh, she sounded like such a slut right now!

I should be recording this to show to social services. It made me wonder how long she had been seeing men behind my back. I suspected that that is what she was doing during the days when she was not at work, but I had not seen a man — except for Pecker — around in months. This wasn't Pecker though; I would have recognized his voice for sure. Yet, this voice was somehow familiar. I had heard it before...

"Ah hell, Lil! She's gonna find out sooner or later. I'm tired of sneaking around. We got 'er back like you wanted... What's the big deal?"

"She'll be gone to L.A. soon. There is no point telling her now. She'll cause more trouble for us," she answered. "Besides, I like that we get to sneak around like we used to do."

I wanted to run up to my room and hide, but I was glued to the banister. I wanted to know who she was talking to.

"We should get that fuckin' man, Peck... to come get 'er tonight! Send the brat to L.A. I can't take much more of this...shit! I can't even sleep in my own bed... You gotta fuck me at work in secret... It's bullshit!"

The man stood up and slammed his fist down on the table hard. He was pretty wasted, by the look of his stance. He nearly fell over, but leaned on the table, facing Lily.

"Quiet, or you'll-"

"Fuck it! Maybe I should just go wake her now. See if she wants a goodnight hug from her step-daddy..."

My whole body went numb and cold. I knew who it was before he turned around and saw me...

It was Royce!

It was worse than any horror film I had ever seen. The suspense was too great, and it made me want to hurl. I was afraid to make any sudden movements. I had already been caught, but I wasn't sure yet if he was going to acknowledge me or not. He had not taken his eyes off me since he spotted me. Now, a faint smirk rose from one side of his mouth.

"Well, speak of the devil!" he said to me. "Come 'n' join us for dinner, Rose. It's rude to be spyin' on us."

I wanted so say no. My first instinct was to run up to my room, lock the door, and call Emmett... But I was scared stiff.

"Aw, come on now. No hard feelings, right? Not after all I have done for you and your mother. A nice house, all the money you could ask for... A modelin' career. You're famous, little lady — because of me! A thank you would be nice."

"Rose... I thought you had eaten and gone to bed early," Lily spoke up. She was a bit flustered, her cheeks pink, like she might be a bit embarrassed, but she was trying to hide her wrong doing here. And she knew she was in big trouble. I was going to call Mrs Butterfield the first chance I got to tell her that my mother had lied about her split from Royce.

"I had. I— I am. I wanted something to drink, but I just remembered I have a bottle of water in my bag," I lied quickly. I managed to back one foot up a stair without falling over.

"Rose... Maybe we should talk about this," Lily stated, looking uneasy. "Royce and I decided to give it another go and... Well, I didn't mean for you to find out this way."

"Find what out? That you are a lying, two-faced whore?"

_Oops_... My temper sometimes came without thought or censor. Lily's face hardened and Royce's nostrils flared. It was probably not smart to mouth off too much to him. He was the most frightening man I had ever known — a very powerful man.

"Get down here. Now!" he demanded. He staggered a bit when his hand hit the table, threw him off balance, and he righted himself by holding onto his chair. The man was pissed out of his mind and seething mad!

My mother's eyes seemed to beg for me to listen to him, but that didn't feel like the safest advice to follow. I knew what he was capable of — he was not honorable and he did not want to talk about this. He was up to something.

Instead, I turned and sprinted upstairs, knowing there was no way he could catch me before I could lock myself in my bedroom. It was foolish, in a lot of ways, to run upstairs and trap myself, but I had no choice. The front door was not close enough and there was a gate around the property. So my bedroom with my phone seemed to be the best plan that my panicked mind could come up with.

I could hear his chair hit the floor and my mother yelling his name as I hurried into my room and slammed the door. His footsteps thundered up the stairs after me.

My heart was racing, and my hands were so shaky that locking the door became a lot harder than it should have been. I managed to do it, though — and race to my bag to grab my phone. Then I heard my door crack, and a loud echo shook the house. He was swearing and pounding on the door so hard that I knew I only had minutes before he would succeed in breaking it down.

Thank goodness for my private bathroom. I had my phone in my hand and I locked myself inside the bathroom as well. If he wanted to get me, he would have two doors to break down!

The loud pounding and his snarling voice never ceased. "You fuckin' whore! Open this door!" I could make out Lily's petite voice in there too, but it was faint. She yelped once and then her voice stopped.

I noticed that there were a total of thirty-one missed calls shown when I opened my phone, all from Emmett's number. I must have had the phone on vibrate from being at school and then slept through all his calls!

My hands still shaking, I pressed the redial button on my cell. I suppose I should have called 911, but I had not had much luck with the police in the past, and I knew Emmett would believe me right away instead of asking questions. He had told me — made me promise—to call him if I was in trouble. And this was one of those times that I feared for my own life.

"Ya, you better run and hide, you little shit! I will teach you to disrespect me! Just you wait 'til I get in there. Your mother can't save you this time!"

Royce was unreasonably mad — too drunk to be thinking about what he was doing. For an evil, ruthless scumbag that he was, that was a dangerous combination.

"I'm going to kill you! You little bitch! Get out here!" He continued to slam himself against the bedroom door.

"Come on. Come on..." I hummed over and over into the phone. Waiting the three rings for Emmett to answer seemed to take minutes rather than seconds.

"Rose?" He sounded eager. "Rose, where are you? Why haven't you been answering my calls?"

"Em! Em!" That was the best I could do. My chin was quivering. The crashing and pounding of Royce's fists had stopped for some reason, and now all I could hear was the clicking of my teeth.

_Had Royce given up?_

"What's wrong? Are you alright?" Emmett sounded just as panicked as I was, but at least he was able to speak. "Rose? You still there?"

"Em, he's back. H-he's h-ere..."

And then there was a loud popping sound, louder than any firecracker I had ever heard, and I dropped my phone so I could cover my ears. Then there was another one and I screamed — it was a gunshot.

"I'm coming in!" Royce's voice was louder now, as he was just on the other side of the door now — inside my room.

I was going to reach for the phone that was left open on the floor. I could hear a muffled voice on the line, so Emmett was still there. However, another shot rang out and tiny flecks of wood came flying inside the bathroom from where the bullet hit the door. It looked like Royce was aiming for the hinge but missed. I was too scared to reach for the phone now. I could only scream for help.

"HELP! Help, please," I cried out. And then Royce broke through and he came crashing in, landing on the floor in a drunken stupor. His knuckles were red, and beads of sweat ran down his face and dripped from his chin as he lifted himself up.

It was over now.

He had caught me.

I could run, but he blocked the door.

He had a gun, so fighting him seemed pointless.

The only place to go was out the window — which was locked — and we were at least thirty meters above ground level. I might die if I jumped, too.

It was beneath me to beg, but I had so much to live for now — like my life was not just my own — so I was going to do whatever it took to survive... to see my family again — and to feel Emmett's arms around me again.

"P-p-please..."

He had the gun pointed down at the tiles, but his finger was on the trigger. He could shoot me if he wanted to. Yet, he didn't point it at me.

"Get up," he huffed. I was shaking and stiff, and my body didn't listen to my brain. I was trying to do as he told me, but I couldn't manage.

Impatiently, he lunged at me and grabbed my arm. I screamed both in fright and pain. He was not a huge man, but he was strong. And he was unfeeling and cruel — especially in his drunk rage. He was not thinking about sparing me discomfort at this time. He wanted something from me. It was revenge for him!

"Please?" I repeated myself. "I-"

"Shut the fuck up," he seethed, pointing the gun into my side sharply. I sucked in a breath and tried not to cry. "You scream one more time an' I'll fuckin' kill you. You hear me?"

I nodded as quickly as I could, my jaw aching to keep my mouth closed. It was hard to fight my instincts.

He swung me around and pushed me into the wall hard. My right side hit the towel rack with such a powerful blow that I heard a sickening pop and pain erupted up my arm and past my shoulder on that side. I gasped, but I didn't cry out — I didn't want him to shoot me. The pain was almost too much for me to bear.

"You should never have told anyone about that night, you little slut! It almost cost me my job and... and my wife... I oughta blow your fuckin' head off! I don't care how Goddamn gorgeous you are or if you're some huge fashion model now," he spat into my face. His breath was rancid and his sticky forehead and nose kept bumping into mine when he spoke. "You wouldn't look very pretty without a face!"

His filthy hand, covered in blood and dirt, grabbed my neck and he squeezed hard. The smell of musky sweat, dirt and blood mixed with my adrenaline and made my head spin. He had me pinned to the wall and with the other hand I heard him unzip his pants, and my pulse soared even more rapidly.

"Relax, Rosebud... it will be over soon," he whispered. "It is about time we did this!"

I knew that he planned to kill me. But not yet... he had to finish what he had started. It was somehow important to him. To prove he was more powerful than I was.

I couldn't let him rape me! No, I wouldn't let him! I would never be able to live with myself if I was submissive and gave into his threats. I had to try something, anything, to make him stop. I had been through too much already to give up! He might kill me if I fought him... He might kill me even if I didn't fight back... But, I had a feeling that he was not planning on keeping me around much longer, either way.

He had let go of my neck to start tearing at my shirt. His hands were just as rough as I remembered them, and I struggled to get away as he moved closer. He was intoxicated so he was a bit slow and I nearly got past him, but he caught my arm again and the pain shot through it, causing me to scream out loud.

It angered him and he slammed my head backward into the wall.

I lost my breath and my sight for a few seconds from the impact. He pulled me from the bathroom and I fell on the ground, my hands and knees hitting the wood splinted floor and scraping as he never let go of my arm. My fingers were numb in one hand, and I couldn't move that arm if I wanted to.

I tried to hit him with the other hand. I scratched him and then bite him, but he waled on me a few times in retaliation with one of his large fists. The punch to my face had me spitting up blood and my eyesight blurred.

"You fuckin' whore! You think I won't do it? I'll kill you!" he raged, the gun pointed right at my head. I was sure it was lights out, but instead of shooting me, he began kicking me hard in the side. Each strike hurt less and less as I felt my consciousness slipping away from me a bit more with each blow.

I managed to hold on to my vision long enough for the trashing to stop. He was panting heavily over me and I tried one more time to get him off me. My legs were in good shape — not injured except for some bruised kneecaps from falling — but that was nothing. I used all the strength I had to kick upward. I was lucky he had no pants on because it was easier to aim. I kicked him hard and he folded and crumpled beside me to the ground holding his crotch and screaming obscenities into the carpet.

It was too hard to get up with my weakened arm, but I wriggled around and with my legs I continued kicking at him. In retrospect I should have kicked his junk in the first place, before he had got to strike at me. He had gone down hard from the initial blow, and I think his drunken state was starting to have more of an effect on his motor skills because he was reaching for me, but his hands missed me by about a foot, like he was not seeing clearly anymore and his motions seemed to be in slow motion.

But maybe I was losing my clarity as well... It was only my adrenaline and my will to survive that kept me awake now.

In his haste to cover himself, he had let go of his gun. He didn't notice when I picked it up with my one hand — he was squirming around with his face in the carpet, hissing at me.

I was not shaking anymore, though I was surely in shock by this time, and every breath I took stabbed at my chest. Yet, I was not scared anymore for some reason. I knew what had to be done.

I aimed the gun at him and put my finger to the trigger.

To Be Continued...

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_**Any thoughts on this chapter? **_

_Thank you for reading!_

_Next Chapter will be Emmett's POV. That's all I'm saying. _


	32. Chapter 32 Fallen Angel

_Thank you to my betas, Catharticone and RandomSugarRush, for all their help. _

_Disclaimer: Same as usual-the story is mine, not the characters. :)_

_*Thank you to all of you for your patience in waiting for updates. A week seems like a long time, but it flies by for me. I appreciate that so many of you have stuck by this story throughout. ~Cookies for everyone! :D__  
_

* * *

**Thorns**

**Chapter Thirty-Two**

Damn, it was cold out! I shivered as I pulled the strings on my hood to tighten it around my head.

"Shut the window, Em," Edward moaned from his side of the room. "It's freezing in here!"

"I think something's wrong for real this time," I told him.

He moaned. "Seriously dude, you have to settle down. I'm sure she is fine."

I knew I was driving my brother mental with all my worries lately, but I couldn't help it. I talked to Rosalie every night on the phone unless she was at some fashion meeting, or dress fitting, or whatever. That stupid modeling of hers took up way too much of her time!

It was nearly December and the air was icy cold, but I was determined to reach Rosalie, and the reception was better by my window. She hadn't answered any of my calls tonight; she usually replied within minutes.

Everyone else had gone to bed except for Edward and me. He was pissed off with me because I refused to drive him to a movie tonight, but I had other things on my mind that were more important.

So, here I was, sitting desperately at my open window with my hand outside. I was praying that everything was okay and this was some communication glitch with the phones and there was really nothing wrong.

_Maybe __she was trying to call me too_? I hoped that was the case.

"She's probably sleeping. She'll call you back in the morning," Edward tried to convince me again. I felt bad to do this to him. He had put up with a lot of my crap since Rosalie had gone to live with her mother. I was no longer eager to goof off with him, and I spent most of my free time complaining about how much I missed Rosalie.

"Something's wrong," I repeated. "I have called a dozen times already. She would have at least texted me if she was in the middle of something."

"Call the house," Edward barked as if I had not already thought of that.

"I did. It keeps ringing busy, like the phone is off the hook. I think Rose is in trouble. This must be what Alice was talking about, right?" Even I thought that had sounded silly. Edward was usually a bit more sceptical, though. He rolled his eyes at me.

"You can't possibly know that, Em. Now, drink some warm milk or take a pill... Do what you have to do, but close that window and go to bed. You're getting crazy eyes like mom from stressing over this..."

"I'm goin' crazy because you are harassing me! Bugger off, would ya?" I replied gruffly, then I tried Rose's number again and stuck my body out the window.

There was still no answer; it went right to her voice mail — and I had already left four messages for her so her box was full. I snapped my phone shut and came back inside.

"I know you miss her, but girls don't like it when guys get all possessive and protective over them," Edward said, sitting to the edge of his bed, ruffling his hair a bit as he offered me a sympathetic half smile. "Trust me."

"If it was Bella out there...?" I suggested, knowing that would change his opinion drastically.

Edward opened his mouth to argue, but he exhaled and hung his head instead. "Ya, okay... I see your point." His hand ran through his wild hair again and he looked at me with a more encouraging expression. "Sorry, Em. I didn't mean to be a jerk about it."

We shared a silent glance and a nod to say that we were cool before Alice's voice made us both jump up.

"Daddy!" her voice screeched from the room next door. Her bed was against the wall to mine so I could practically hear the vibrations. "Daddy!"

Alice usually called for Mom first, and I picked up on this fact right away.

Edward and I sprang up and raced into her room just in time to witness her leaning over her bed and hurling all over her pink rug.

"Oh man..." Edward groaned. I grimaced too, but we both went to help our baby sister.

"I saw it. She's dead. She's dead!" she cried.

I swear my heart stopped for a moment.

_Oh dear God, not Rosalie!_

"It was a bad dream Alice," Edward told her, pulling back all her covers and wiping her mouth with the sheet.

Mom, Dad, Bella and Jasper all joined us, and Dad took Edward's spot on the bed and reached out for Alice, trying to feel her cheek and forehead, concerned she was ill. She grabbed him back, ignoring his concern for her, and she yelled at him. "It's time, Daddy. You have to go help Rosie. Please!"

"Shit!" I swore. My mind reeled and I stuffed my head in my hands to push back the insanity I was feeling. It was so much worse than I thought. I had never been as scared in all my life as I was in this moment.

"Alice?" Dad was trying to calm her down as she frantically squirmed away from his steady hand. "Please darling, calm down. You had a nightmare, but it is over now-"

"No. It's real. I know it! I know it! There's blood and she's dead. She is not moving and she is dead!"

Mom was shaking, but she didn't let that stop her from going to Alice and setting her on her lap. "Shhh, baby. We believe you. Shhh..."

"What is she talking about? Who is she talking about?" Bella asked, not looking too closely at the mess on the floor. She was not great with blood, but obviously vomit was just as sickening. She looked as white as the linens and about ready to gag as well. Edward had his arms around her to comfort her — and she let him.

I should be with Rosalie right now!

"We have to go!" I said, the panic subsiding as I was ready to rush out of the house alone if I had to, but Alice wanted Dad to go, too, so I grabbed his arm.

I cared about Alice, of course, but she was not sick. She was scared — like I was — and we were wasting time. Dad looked back at me and then at the rest of us uncertainly, shaking his head as Alice continued to insist he had to go to Rosalie.

"Go," Mom told him. "I've got Alice. You take Em and go check it out!"

"Rose has not been answering my calls all night, Dad... I think she might really be in danger. I know this is crazy... but please? I need you to come with me!"

"Of course." He nodded and stood, letting his hands slip from Alice and he said, "Grab the first aid kit — the big pack I keep on the top shelf in the mud room — and then get in the car and warm the engine. I will be there as soon as I can."

I did as he said, with only my cell in my hand and the clothes I had on. I hurried down two flights of stairs into the basement, through the mud room, and pulled the massive, red medical bag from the high shelf.

Dad had complained about some of the other first aid kits we had purchased, so last summer he had customized several kits — one for the cabin and one for the house — in case any real, big emergency occurred. He added more things to the kits like drugs, medical grade super glue, tools for stitching up Bella — which was the whole reason he needed to be more prepared, let's face it — and other items that looked foreign to me.

I shoved on my winter boots and ran to the car, nearly tripping on my untied laces. Dad was behind me less than a minute later in the clothing that was permanently set out at the end of his and mom's bed each night. It was unbelievable that we actually had to use it. But I knew Dad felt it too... something was very wrong, and it was finally time to go get our Rosalie back — if we were not already too late. Alice's words, "she's dead," replayed in my head.

* * *

As we raced to Rochester, I told my dad how Rosalie usually answered my calls, and even though I had no proof, I was sure she was in danger tonight. He never once made me feel like I was overreacting. He would only tell me to take a deep breath every now and then as I repeated, "Where is she? Oh, God, why isn't she answering?" over and over.

"We will be there soon. Try to calm down a bit, Son. We will get there when we get there. You can't help her if you don't calm down and think rationally."

He was usually a stickler for obeying traffic laws, but he was speeding tonight. Not outrageously, since there could be black ice out, but he was not dawdling. There was hardly any traffic anyway, thank goodness. It would do me no good to hurry him anyway... There was nothing more to do, but to keep calling Rose's cell and pray she would pick up and this was all just a bad dream — a huge misunderstanding.

I wanted Alice to be wrong... But that little freak was never wrong! I was so angry that I had waited this long. I could have been at the house by now if I had just gone with my gut feeling in the first place. I was such an idiot! I grunted and punched the dash board.

"Em..."

"I love her, Dad. I love her so much. If anything has happened to her-" I could not finish that sentence. It was not even a possibility to lose her. She was not dead. She couldn't be!

"I know you do, Son. We're almo-" he was saying as my phone rang loudly to cut him off.

"Rose?" I bellowed into the phone. I could hear noise on the other end — loud booming sounds mixed in with the sound of her breathing heavily."Rose, where are you? Why haven't you been answering my calls?"

"Em! Em!"

"What's wrong? Are you alright?" I begged for her to talk to me. She was not saying anything and panic bubbled inside me again. "Rose? You still there?"

"Em, he's back. H-he's h-ere..."

BANG!

"Shit," I said in a weak, pathetic voice. I was almost crying I was so scared. That was a gunshot. Dad heard it too.

BANG!

A scream from Rosalie chilled me to the bone.

"I'm coming in!" I heard a man's voice say from a distance.

"Rosalie! Rosalie!" I yelled. "Rose?"

Dad didn't say a word. I knew he couldn't stop driving to comfort me right now — he was watching the road with the most determined face. His face was hard and tight and his nostrils flared a bit, but he was doing his best to stay clear headed. He was so much stronger that I...

BANG!

"Oh, God!" I cried.

"HELP! Help, please!" I heard her pleading for help, but we were still a good five miles away from her house!

"Emmett," Dad said firmly. "Emmett, you need to hang up the phone and call 911."

"But?"

"Do as I tell you! You have to call 911 now, Son. They might be able to reach her faster!"

He was right. We had to call the police, but I was scared to lose Rose. It was her pleading voice that gave me the strength I needed to do as my father instructed.

"P-p-please..." she wept.

I closed the phone and held my breath.

"Good, Son. Now dial 911 and tell them that gunshots were heard and give them the address," he ordered me.

I did exactly as he asked of me. I told the operator everything as Dad wanted me to, word for word, trying to stay calm like he was doing.

"Tell them to send an ambulance as well," was his last bit of instruction.

Once I had said the words, and the operator agreed and talked to me in her ridiculously calm, almost apathetic voice, I broke down and cried.

* * *

When we arrived, the street was dark, with no activity or lights on in any of the homes along the drive up to the house. I suppose it was possible that the neighbours could have slept through the gunshots, being as the house was somewhat isolated and had a very large, gated property.

There were no police cars there yet! None at all! Even though Dad told me not to, when he parked at the curb across from her house, I jumped out and ran to the gate. We could not wait for the police!

"Emmett! You can't! It may not be safe," he told me urgently and with a sharper edge to his voice than I was used to. I was already up the fence and over by the time he caught up to me. "Emmett!" He meant well...

"I have to go to her, Dad. I'm sorry."

I ran, leaving him behind. It might not have been the smart thing to do, but it was what I had to do. I had to go to her.

The front door was open and nothing unusual caught my eye... at first. But the bloodied man lying face up at the bottom of the stairs was certainly not normal, that was for sure. I stepped closer, listening carefully for any noises. I didn't want to announce myself to someone who had a gun.

I stood over the rugged man and gave him a quick survey to make sure that I was seeing what I thought I was seeing. This was all some horror show, like I was watching myself in a movie!

He was dead. His neck was broken by the looks of it and his empty eyes stared back at me. I was not scared, though. Maybe I was desensitized from playing too many violent video games, but a dead man was not going to hurt me.

"Emmett!" Dad had followed me, and he had with him the large red medical kit. "What hap-" He slowed his pace as he knelt down and put his fingers to the guy's neck.

"Rose?" I called out, not caring about some dead asshole!

In the living room there was a chair and a coffee table thrown over, but nothing else.

"Rosalie? Answer me! Please!"

I heard a sound — a voice — coming from upstairs. "That's her!" I yelped and I bolted forward.

Dad followed closely behind me as we dashed up the tall staircase to the second floor. And that is where we found her. My Rose...

I clasped my hand over my mouth and froze.

She was hurt. Her face was swollen and bloodied, and she was sprawled out on the carpet on her back with her arm twisted in an uncomfortable position, her head turned the other way, and her eyes closed. She was not moving and I feared the worst.

Dad did not freeze up, however. He was at her side in a flash. He placed the first aid kit in his reach and knelt down next to her, touching her cheek lightly with the back of his hand, and then leaning in over her with his ear over her mouth and nose for a moment before he spoke. "Rosalie, honey... Can you hear me, darling? It's Carlisle."

She wasn't moving and I watched her chest to see if she was breathing, but I couldn't tell. My heart hammered away and still, I could not move my feet. Slowly, her head turned to look at Dad. He sucked in a breath, surprised by this, and he held her head still.

"Where's..." It was her voice. She was alive, oh thank God!

"Emmett is here too. We are going to get you some help, sweetie. The police and an ambulance are on the way... But you have to lie still, until they get here, Rose. Do you understand?"

"Royce," she whispered, her one eye swollen shut, but the other fluttered open a bit. "I— I could-n't... do it. I couldn't... shoot him."

"It's over now, darling."

"I didn't... shoot...him," she repeated.

"I know," Carlisle responded to her, very carefully cupping her cheek. "You did the right thing. I am glad you fought back, honey. I am so proud of you. Everything is going to be alright."

My chest lightened at bit. She was alive and she would be alright now. Dad said so!

I built up the courage to go to her and crouch down on the other side of her. My hand went to hers, but I stopped when Dad touched my hand and shook his head.

"Don't touch her yet, Em. We don't know the extent of her injuries, and I don't want her to move too much," he explained. I nodded and didn't touch her, though it was so hard to listen. It took all my restraint to obey. But... she was in good hands. Dad was swift and gentle as he took her hand in his and took her pulse. Then he did the same for the other wrist, frowning slightly the second time.

"He— He... came...after me," she mumbled. "He— He was going to... to kill me. I pushed him... and... He fell." She was not able to speak very clearly. She was practically panting with the effort it took her.

"He's not going to hurt you again," I told her. "The bastard is d-" I was a big mouth most of the time, but even though I loathed the man who did this to my Rose, I didn't want to upset her. "He can't hurt you ever again."

Her hand sprang up and weakly flopped down next to me. I ached to take it, but I was scared I might hurt her if I touched her. She looked so sore.

"Not yet, sweetheart. You have to be still," Dad reminded her again. "I need you not to move your head anymore, okay honey? Say, yes, if you understand," Dad told her with this dashing, yet professional, smile that I would have to get him to teach me sometime — he was good! Rosalie looked from me, then back at him, and surrendered.

"Yes," she managed to say.

"Good girl," he told her with another pleasing smile. I don't know how he could keep so serene at a time like this, but it seemed to be helping Rosalie so I was grateful. If he was not here I would be doing all sorts of wrongs in my panic to get Rosalie to a hospital!

His hands felt over her limbs and when he asked her what hurt, she told him that her arm was tingly. When he touched it, just slightly, she gasped and he removed his hands. I felt like I might be sick — I couldn't stand to see her in pain.

"Your shoulder is dislocated, sweetheart."

"Is that... bad?" she asked. I wanted to answer her and tell her that it happened to a few guys on my football team and they were fine... But then I thought about how much pain they had been in and the stories they told me about how badly it hurt when their arm was popped back into the joint.

Thank goodness Dad was a good liar. "No," he replied calmly. "Just relax for now and try not to move, darling. Help will be here soon." Dad eyed the foyer for a moment — probably wondering what the hell was taking our back up so long!

I stayed back for a few minutes and watched as he examined her, careful not to move her too much. The first aid kit was spread out neatly, but a lot of it appeared useless since most of it was bandages and stuff to stop bleeding. She wasn't bleeding, thank God. There was dried blood on her lip and around her nose, but that was it. Dad was pleased not to find any open wounds, too.

I asked Dad, "That's good, right?" He gave me one of his kind glances, but it was not exactly the reassurance I wanted. He moved around to my side to wrap a black cuff around her uninjured arm taking her blood pressure, so I shut up and moved out of the way. He was pretty swift with that thing and he removed it without hurting her further. Then he listened to her chest with the stethoscope for a while. My body was twitching impatiently for him to tell me everything was fine — that she was okay.

Rosalie moaned a few times and he was very apologetic about where his touch hurt her.

"Can't you give her something for the pain?" I asked. "There's gotta be some good drugs in that bag, right?" I knew Dad would have something in that kit to help, but I didn't know why he was hesitating.

He looked sad to inform me, "No, I'm afraid I can't give her anything too strong at this time." I could tell there was more he was not saying, but if it was because he didn't want Rosalie to panic or me to panic, I was not sure. He took a moment to think quite obviously and then he rummaged through the bag and pulled out a tiny bottle of clear stuff and a needle, and he filled it up.

He leaned over Rose and asked her, "Are you on any medications at the moment, Rosalie? Any antibiotics? Any painkillers?"

Rose shook her head minutely.

"Alright," he said with a nod and he touched her cheek and kindly explained to her that he was going to give her a muscle relaxant for her shoulder pain, that it would not take all the pain away, but that it should help a bit.

Rosalie didn't argue with him. She was struggling to stay awake, it seemed.

I almost turned away when he asked her if he could remove her shirt. I don't know why, since I had seen her in a skimpier bikini before... It was just strange to have my dad remove her clothing.

Yet, it was not as bad to witness as I thought it would be. He was so professional that I didn't mind him exposing her chest and one of my favourite red bras.

It didn't matter. I didn't care about that right now, anyway — nothing but her health mattered to me at this moment.

My hand had slowly, inch by inch, crept over her left hand and I squeezed it gently while Dad injected the medicine into her shoulder in several places. She didn't make one sound, but her eyes closed and her fingers wrapped around my hand tightly.

"Almost done, sweetie... You are doing great. Slow, easy breaths, hon, that's it... Just one more pinch..."

When he was finished, Dad spent some time looking over her ribs more carefully. He didn't say anything, except for positive words for Rosalie to hear, but I knew him well enough to recognize that he was concerned about something. I don't think my pathetic, pleading expression was doing him any good, but I could not help wishing he could do more for her.

The police finally arrived, a minute later. There had been a couple huge accidents on the stretch of highway that they needed to take and that was why there was such a hold up. It had only been ten or fifteen minutes since we called, but that was still a long wait in an emergency like this!

And there was more bad news... the ambulance that was following had hit black ice and went into a ditch so another one was just now being dispatched.

Dad told him who he was, and luckily one of the officers knew him from a surgery he had performed on her son a few years ago. So there was no questioning about his medical involvement now; she stepped aside and offered any assistance she could while the other officer dealt with the scene.

Dad continued to talk smoothly to Rose to keep her calm. She was a bit worked up again because there were now a few more police officers invading the place. One guy was asking her too many questions and Dad had to tell him to back off.

"She needs her strength. You will have to get her statement at a later time," he told them all.

I was watching Rosalie, leaning over her so I could tell her I loved her and try to be supportive. I was a useless oaf, but at least I could tell her that I loved her. _That was something, right?_

Dad looked worried about something and he checked her pulse on her right wrist again. His hands probed along her head and neck for a second time too. I guess he was being super cautious or something...

"You are certain there is no pain in your head, neck or back, Rose?" he asked.

"Just... my arm... and...my side," she answered him brokenly.

"Can you wiggle just your toes for me, honey?"

Her feet waved and I felt like it was a victory. I knew enough to know that was good news. Moving your legs is always good!

"I don't think there is a spinal injury," Dad told the policewoman. She nodded and agreed with him. "But her shoulder is dislocated and it has been far too long — she is complaining of numbness in that hand. How many minutes out is the ambulance now?"

"Two minutes," some other guy replied. He had a walkie-talkie in his hand.

"And the ride to the hospital is how long?"

"About ten more," the woman replied.

I could hear an officer downstairs talking insensitively to another, "Tell them we need another bag in here. There's a woman in the upstairs hallway with a gunshot wound to the head so we need another coroner's report on that one. No. The young girl's alive but in rough shape — she is unavailable for questioning at this time. We still don't know what happened here."

I hoped that Rosalie could not hear that, but there were tears in her eyes that got stuck on her cheeks so I wiped them away so they would not dribble down into her ears.

Dad was talking lowly to himself — or the lady officer, maybe — and contemplating something or other about moving Rose. He said something about nerve damage and I pretended I couldn't hear him and continued to talk over the other voices to whisper, "I love you," to Rose one more time.

"Honey," Dad said to her, slipping himself close to her again. "I have to put your shoulder back into its socket. It is important that we do it now because of the way it is pressing on the nerves in your arm and making your hand numb. It will hurt for just a moment, sweetie, but I will be quick."

She was blinking like she was trying to clear her vision and her mouth moved, but no words came out.

"Do you want Emmett to hold you?" Dad offered.

Rose nodded right away, forgetting again not to move her head, but I think the concern was not as great anymore since Dad checked her spine out.

"Okay. Here is what I need you to do, Em..."

_Holy crap! He was serious!_

"Slide in behind Rose with your knees supporting her head," he instructed. I was a bit slow, so when his eyes met mine encouragingly I jumped into action. I was apprehensive to be involved in case I did something wrong — Edward would have been so much better at this — but Dad seemed sure of me. I didn't want to let him or Rosalie down. Not after how brave and heroic they both were.

I did as he told me.

"Good. Now, lean over her and hold her other shoulder down with your left hand. Then, I want you to place your right hand on her forehead so she can't lift off the ground. Hold her firmly so she can't move." He walked me through it. "Do you have any questions about that?"

I would have normally made a sarcastic comment about that, but this was not the time. I was nervous I would screw up so I answered, "No," and listened intently to his next words.

"Whatever you do, do not put any pressure on her chest — only her good arm and her head."

"Ya. Got it," I agreed, already in position. Her right side did look very sore — with dark bruises up into her arm pit.

"You ready?"

I didn't know if he was asking me or Rose, but I nodded back.

"Rose, try to take a nice, slow breath for me, honey," he told her. "In... Good girl."

She was focused on that chore and Dad gave me a subtle look to make sure I was ready. He was going to do it now. I nodded again and shut my eyes and held her tightly.

It was a horrible sound that followed — I will never forget that sound... Or the guilt I felt when she cried out a split second after the crunch.

Her head fell limp under my huge hand and I panicked to find her unconscious. "Oh my God!" I yelped, moving my hand from her immediately.

"It's okay, Em," Dad told me, still busy getting her arm positioned and feeling around her shoulder. "She's only fainted."

"But…"

"She's not feeling any pain this way," he reassured me. I tried to stay calm, but I liked it better when she was awake. It was too hard to look at her now… she seemed even more helpless and fragile.

The ambulance finally arrived a few minutes later. Rosalie never woke up as they begin working over her and strapping her to a board and attaching things to her. I hated watching them poke her and talk about her like she was not there, but I knew they were just doing their jobs. Dad remained by her side, but he let the paramedics do their job as he filled them in on her condition and what had happened. I didn't understand half the words they were using, but it freaked me out when they worriedly placed a mask over her mouth and nose.

She was carefully moved and loaded onto a bed and into the back of the ambulance, where they refused to let me stay with her. I was about to make a big stink about it, but I realized they only had room for one more on the ride to the hospital and I insisted that Dad should go with her instead of me. I would drive the car to the hospital so he could be with her.

"That's fine," the female officer told Dad. "He can follow me there. I will see to it he gets there safely."

"Thank you, Debbie," he told her with a pat on her shoulder. Then he turned to me and told me to drive safely and not to worry, that Rosalie was in good hands.

I trusted him. I told him, "I know," even though there was so much more I could have said to him at that moment.

I watched him get into the back of the vehicle and sit down beside Rosalie and take her hand in his. If I could not be there, I was glad it was my dad. He was my hero.

The doors closed, and the ambulance blared loudly as it drove away.

To Be Continued…

* * *

_**So... What did you think of Emmett's gut feeling that something was wrong even before he knew for sure? Soul mate? Hehehe. Was waiting for Alice to go all 'Exorcism' on them a more reliable source of information to act on? Hehee. How do you feel about Emmett and Carlisle's intervention? What did you think about what they found when they got to the house? **_

_Coming up Next- Carlisle struggles with being a father, not a doctor, as Rosalie is taken away from him at the hospital. Will he keep it together when they rest of the family joins him in waiting?_

_**Thank you for reading! **_


	33. Chapter 33 Messenger

_Thank you to my betas, Catharticone and RandomSugarRush. This story would not be the same without your help!_

_Disclaimer- Not my characters. The story is mine, though. :) _

_*Note- I apologize for my lack of response last week. My excuse is work. Here is the next chapter on time, at least...  
_

* * *

**Thorns**

**Chapter Thirty-Three**

Rosalie was unconsciousness for the first few minutes on the ride to the hospital. It was for the best — she would have felt too much pain in transport if she had been awake. I could not give her anything stronger than muscle relaxants or localized anesthetics because I was worried about lung depression. Her breathing was poor as it was, and the ambulance had taken too long already. If she were to stop breathing now, in a moving ambulance, it would be more difficult to treat her than if she were in a well-equipped hospital.

I would have preferred her shoulder reduction to be performed in a hospital, too — with her doped up on nitrous oxide if possible. However, because of the amount of time the shoulder had been displaced and the numbness present in her hand, I had made a choice to set it myself. I was quite concerned about the compression of her nerves and arteries. If her arm had been left too much longer without proper blood flow and nerve impulse, permanent damage would be more likely to occur.

The procedure had gone well. Where I had felt no brachial pulse in her right arm before, there was a faint one now. And I had been careful not to jostle her ribs and cause more damage to her lung than had already been done. I hoped that she would one day forgive me for the pain I caused her. It had been severe enough for her to faint. Yet Emmett took it even worse than she did. I swear he blanched whiter than she had, the poor guy.

I worried about him a bit. I was glad that Officer Nelson offered to lead him to the hospital in her car. I could trust Emmett to be careful, but in this kind of stressful situation it was nice to have someone looking out for him so I could be here with Rosalie.

It had been difficult for me to merely sit back, hold her hand, and watch her vitals on the monitor while the medics worked over her. Until we reached the ER, there was not a whole lot more to be done except to get several large intravenous lines started and administer oxygen.

Even with the fluids being started and the aid of extra oxygen, her blood pressure and blood saturation were too low. Her radial pulse was weak in both wrists, but on the monitor her heart beat quickly and consistently without any major irregularities. I could take some small relief in that.

She was doing fairly well, considering the seriousness of her injuries. Her low blood pressure had me the most concerned because without adequate blood flow, her heart was at risk. Her fractured ribs had punctured the plural cavity and she had a large pneumothorax — I had not been able to hear any breath sounds from her right lung. I was tempted to try to release some of the pressure in her chest with large bore syringe, but it was risky. I would only intervene if her condition worsened.

I would feel a lot better once she was in the hands of an experienced trauma surgeon who would be able to repair her collapsed lung in the ER. She required a chest tube to be inserted — and soon… Her skin pallor worsened with each minute that passed, and her shallow breaths appeared labored, especially when she came to, disorientated and agitated with being tied down to the gurney.

I moved over to sit closer to her head and leaned in so she could see me. My hand replaced the medic's who was telling her she needed to calm down. Rosalie was not one to trust a complete stranger. I hoped that she had come to trust me enough now that I might be able to comfort her.

The moment her eyes found me I squeezed her hand. "You're alright, Rose. We're on the way to the hospital now. Emmett will meet us there," I told her. She was still rather tense, but she put her head back down and gave a shaky sigh. "I know you are scared, hon, but they're going to take good care of you and have you feeling a lot more comfortable very soon."

Her heart rate was slightly tachyacardic now, and she was going into shock. I was grateful that the medic was already aware and pulled a wool blanket up to cover her body. "You're doing great, kid," he told her. "Try to relax. Your dad's right... those ER docs give the best drugs. You'll be feeling better soon."

It was not all that humorous, but Rosalie turned her gaze from him and looked at me questioningly. I smiled and nodded, hoping it was to confirm the statement about the drugs and not about me being her father. "He's right. They will give you something for the pain and you will probably fall asleep and rest for a while."

Something brushed my hand, and I looked down to find that her fingers had curled around mine. She tried to say something to me, but with the mask on it was impossible to hear her. I didn't want her to use her energy talking either. It sounded like, "...Esme?"

"Don't try to speak, sweetheart," the medic told her dutifully.

I nodded and stroked the side of her face lightly where there was not purple bruising. "Esme's coming, darling," I told her.

That was something I would have to as soon as I was able — call Esme. She would be frantic, for sure. I worried about her driving here. She would insist upon coming, though.

"I'm... sorry." It was muffled, but easy to make out Rosalie's words this time. I smoothed out the lines on her worried brow and smiled at her. I would not cry—it might upset her—but it hurt me that she thought she owed an apology.

"You're still our girl, and we love you very much, Rose. Nothing could change that," I pressed. "In a few hours, after you have rested a bit, Esme will come to see you and she will tell you the same thing."

I had intended for my words to soothe her, but her heart rate didn't lower. In fact, she turned away from me and her breathing got more ragged. It may have been too much for her to hear — too emotional — at this time, but I had to let her know she was loved.

The minutes seemed to drag, but eventually we got to Emergency. I kissed her on the cheek once as they opened the back doors and lowered the ramp to the pavement. I wasn't sure how far they would let me go with Rosalie. I didn't know any of the staff at Rochester General Hospital. It was most likely I would not be able to stay with her much longer — as her father, or as a physician.

Sure enough, as I followed her into the ER, I was stopped and told where family members were to wait. I squeezed her hand one last time and told her I loved her again, not to be scared, and I would see her soon.

I informed the triage nurse about the reduction that I had preformed and about her collapsed lung so they could get right to it away. I wished I could have gone with her to hold her hand while they performed the procedure. Some less experienced doctors could find it tricky to properly numb pericostal and intercostal muscles as well as the subcutaneous tissue and might rush through anesthetising those areas to get the job done. I didn't want her to be in pain — she'd been through enough already.

The nurse took in what I told her. "We'll take good care of your daughter, Doctor."

"Her name is Rosalie!" I wanted the staff to know her name. I always liked to know my patients' names — it mattered.

She smiled and nodded before she hurried on after the gurney. I heard her call Rose by name and introduce herself as they turned a corner.

Then I was left standing there, in the center of a large room, stuck behind glass doors that read, "Hospital Personnel Only." It crushed me and I tried to hold back tears as I saw her leave my sight. I was usually on the other side of those doors. This was so much harder... Harder than I could have ever imagined it could be. I knew why there was a rule, but it made less sense to me as a father.

* * *

I waited downstairs in the designated area for someone to give me an update on Rosalie, but no one came out for the longest time. It had been only a half hour, in reality, but it seemed like hours. Emmett had found me and was a nervous wreck no matter how many times I assured him that they would be taking good care of her. I don't think he believed me.

I had called Esme the moment Rosalie had been taken away. It was before Emmett had reached me, so I had to use a pay phone because in my haste I had not taken my cell with me.

It was Edward who answered Esme's phone.

"Dad?" He had sounded kind of scared, and I realized that the call display would have shown where I was calling from.

"Edward. Are you with your mother?" It was a stupid question, but it was nearly three o'clock and I was not thinking entirely clearly in my repressed panic state.

"Ya. She's driving, though. We are on our way! Should we go to— Uh... Are you at the— How's Rosalie? " I knew he was asking for everyone's sake, but he was scared to say the words. I had heard Esme's voice ask the same questions in the background.

I also heard Bella mumbling, "It's okay, Alice. She'll be okay."

"Tell your mother we are at Rochester General Hospital."

I could hear him relay the messages on to Esme.

"Is she okay? What happened? Oh God! Is Emmett okay?" Esme's voice was the easiest to make out over the fuzzy line.

"Edward?" I needed his attention again.

"Ya, dad?"

"Everything is okay. Tell everyone that Rosalie is in the ER now getting some x-rays, and they are taking good care of her." He hesitated, perhaps to evaluate my tone. "Edward... She's going to be fine. Please tell everyone not to worry."

"Ya, Dad. I will." He was calm amidst the other more frantic voices in the background asking him questions. "We're already on the way."

I impressed upon him, again, that Rosalie was doing well and not to rush, because it was likely we would not see her for a few more hours, if that. I didn't want Esme to panic and drive too quickly to get here. I had sped enough today — and was lucky to have gotten away with it in this icy weather.

"I will tell her," he had promised me once more. "See you soon," were his lasts words.

Shortly, after hanging up, Emmett found me. Officer Nelson patted him on the back and I thanked her again for her support. She had a lot of paperwork to do, and she told me she would need a statement from me, Emmett, and Rosalie when it was a better time. I gave her my number, and she said she'd be in touch. I appreciated that she was not going to insist we do any of that now.

Before Esme arrived, Cindy, the triage nurse came to find me and tell me that Rosalie was upstairs getting some scans done. I could have guessed that much, but it was good to know what was going on.

"Rosalie's doing really well," she assured us. "The chest tube is in place — there were no complications during the procedure. She is breathing a lot more easily now and is comfortable."

"Chest tube?" Emmett blurted out, grabbing a handful of his hair and twisting it. He shook his head. "Holy shit! Why— What...?"

"Calm down, son," Cindy told him, with a hand kindly on his huge bicep. "We have her sedated quite a bit so she is not feeling any pain. In fact, she will probably sleep for quite some time now, so I suggest you do the same."

She meant it to be kind, but Emmett shook her hand off him and practically growled, "I can't sleep! Not 'til I see her with my own two eyes!"

She bowed her head sympathetically, understanding his upset. She turned to me and asked me if I had any questions; of course I had plenty. I tried not to get too carried away, though.

I asked about her blood pressure and her oxygen saturation, which had concerned me the most on the ride in. It had been bothering me not to know if she was injured internally as well, but I didn't want to scare Emmett so I didn't ask Cindy straight out. Most likely if her blood pressure was normal now, she was not bleeding internally to any serious degree.

"Rosalie's vitals are all good. She's stable and doing beautifully considering the trauma she's been through. She's a very brave girl."

I took a deep, calming breath and took Cindy's hand in gratitude. "Yes, she is."

It was good news, and that was all we could hope for at this time. I couldn't check on Rose myself, but I trusted Cindy to tell me the truth. I didn't know her, but I liked her and I could tell she was a wonderful nurse who knew how to do her job.

She regretfully told me she had to be going, so I shook her hand again and thanked her several times for her efforts. She was busy and had to get back to her work, I understood that.

"When can we see her?" Emmett wanted to know.

"Once she is out of radiology she'll get a room in the PICU. It's on the fourth floor." Cindy took the time to answer one more inquiry. "They are pretty strict up there about visiting hours, but I can have someone take you up there and get you settled in a family waiting room, if you'd like?"

"When is visiting allowed?" Emmett asked hastily.

"Visiting hours are not until eight, I'm afraid."

"That's five hours from now!" Emmett exclaimed. I patted his large back softly.

"She will be sleeping for a while," Cindy told us kindly. "However, a doctor will be able to tell you more once she is admitted to her room. I think Dr. Peters will be the one to come find you once he knows more about her condition. He may let your mom or dad in to be with her once she is settled."

I nodded, knowing that there were rules for a reason, but with children they bent the visitor rule a bit to allow a parent to stay by their kid's bedside whenever possible.

"Thank you," I told her. "My wife and other children should be arriving shortly and then we would appreciate being shown to a room near Rosalie's where we can all wait."

"I will come back to check on you in a bit then, and have someone to show you up to the fourth floor." She smiled at me and Emmett before she darted away behind the glass doors once more.

* * *

Esme arrived about thirty minutes later towing Alice in her arms. Jasper, Bella, and Edward followed quickly behind her. All of them looked tired, yet uncomfortably alert for this time of morning.

Edward went immediately to Emmett to find about what happened, as did Bella. Jasper clung tight to Esme's side, near Alice, but she was sleeping so he was not touching her. Esme looked like she might actually fall apart, so I cupped her face and kissed her, telling her, "She's okay, hon. The nurse was out to talk to us already, and Rose is doing remarkably well and is being transferred upstairs to the Pediatric ICU."

Her face blanched at the last three letters, her mouth falling open in shock. I smiled over my own concerns and said, "They want to keep a close eye on her, that's all. She has taken quite the..." I hesitated, but there was no easy way to say it. "...beating," I mouthed lowly. "But she's in stable condition at this time, and I have been assured she is not in any pain."

I am not sure my words were all that comforting to Esme. She closed her mouth and jerked her head up and down a few times.

"She's going to be fine, Esme," I whispered, not wanting to wake Alice, who was a touch more ashen than usual. A bit of sheen was sticky on her forehead, and I could only presume she had been ill on the ride over. I touched the back of my hand to her cheek and then forehead to find she was feverish.

"She's pretty much running on empty now," Esme whispered back to me. A tear fell from her eye, and I obligingly wiped it away as her hands were occupied with Alice. "I don't know what happened, but Alice seems to believe that someone died and she wouldn't stop crying... She claims she saw the whole thing. I don't know— I don't-"

More tears fell from my wife's eyes. I had to take a calming breath to resist crying along with her.

"Thank goodness for Edward's help," she continued."He kept us all calm and got Alice to settle down enough so I could keep driving. I didn't know what to do except get in the car and come to you!"

"Shhh," I cooed, wiping her eyes again. "That was the right thing to do."

"Where is Rose now? Can we see her?" she wanted to know. "I don't want her to be alone…"

"She's going to be sedated for a while, sweetheart. I will speak with her doctors and nurses once we get upstairs and find out more," I replied.

She swayed ever so slightly, and I placed my hand on her back. "Here, let me have her," I said, reaching to take Alice.

It was an easy switch. Alice didn't wake, but instinctively clung to me — her arm hooked around my neck and she rested her hot cheek on my shoulder. She sat neatly on my one arm and I patted Jasper's head with the other. Esme placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"How are you doing, son?" I asked him. He shrugged and stared back at me wide-eyed. I knew in this environment he was extremely overwhelmed. The private waiting room would come in handy now.

We sat in the chairs in the ER lobby for a little while. The kids were all quiet and well-behaved. They were also exhausted and scared, no doubt. I wished they didn't have to be a part of this.

Esme wanted to know what had happened, so with the kids sitting a few chairs away I told her a quick version of what Emmett and I had encountered. Esme was horrified no matter how graciously I tried to censor my account of the horrific events that had taken place. Esme hated Lillian Hale, but she was shaken when I told her that she had been shot and killed by her ex-husband. It was tragic. No one deserved to die, after all. Something Esme and I could both agree on.

Sure to her word, Cindy appeared to check in with us again and introduced herself to Esme and the kids. She relayed to all of us that Rosalie was now upstairs, but not quite ready for visitors yet. Then, she escorted us up to the fourth floor.

The room she showed us to had a couple of loveseats and few hard plastic chairs inside. It was not ideal — but it was private and it was close to Rosalie's room, so we were grateful.

"Do you know when will we be able to see her?" Esme piped up, eager to know more.

"I'm sure it won't be too much longer," she offered kindly. "Once she is settled in her room a nurse will come find you and let you know more about visitation. Parents only...no siblings at this time, I'm afraid," she answered as she took note of the sick child I had over my shoulder and the other four sleep-deprived kids we had in tow.

Esme and I nodded in sync. We would have to take turns.

Cindy put her hand on Alice's back very lightly for a moment. She smiled sympathetically as she evaluated our situation further. Our eyes met and I didn't have to tell her that we had a lot on our plate at the moment. "It's been a rough night for all of you. I'll see about finding you some blankets and pillows so you might get a bit of rest."

"That would be wonderful," Esme choked out. She covered her mouth and blinked away the visible pooling tears as the situation began to sink in again.

Cindy bowed out before I could thank her properly.

"I can still see her, though. Right, Dad?" Emmett wanted to know. He was sitting on the end of one loveseat hunched over with his hands gripping his knees.

I opened my mouth a bit to reply, but I shook my head instead. I finally managed to say, "I don't think so, Em. They are strict about these things."

"But when can I see her then? In the morning, during the visiting hours?" Emmett carried on. I glanced at him sorrowfully, knowing how painful it was for him to wait and not be able to see Rose. We all felt it.

"We will have to wait and see," I told him honestly. "I don't know anything as of right now. Let me speak with her doctor first, alright?"

"Ya. Fine. But if you see her, you have to tell her— tell her that... We love her." There was more he wanted me to pass on — a more personal message — but he didn't want to say it in front of his siblings, I suppose.

I would let Rosalie know how much Emmett cared for her when I saw her.

"Of course, I will," I responded without hesitation. Yet, there was one more issue that we could face... "I'm actually a bit concerned that we may not be allowed to see her once they realize we are not her biological parents."

"Well, don't tell them that!" Edward blurted out. I sighed and took that option into consideration. It was not a lie if they didn't ask straight out, I rationalized.

"Oh..." Esme exhaled, sinking into a cushioned seat. She pulled Jasper to sit next to her. She hugged him instinctively without thinking, putting her cheek on the top of his crown. "We need to call Clara too, I guess." She looked at me with a guilty shrug. "I know it seems rushed, but it has to be done."

I agreed with a short nod.

Alice stirred and moaned a little bit as she wiggled to get herself more comfortable on my hard shoulder. I was not terribly concerned about her fever since it did appear mild at this point in time. There was little to do about it now, except see that got some rest and later, something to drink. I sat on a chair, leaving the loveseats for the kids and Esme. I leaned into the wall and rubbed Alice's back, hushing her softly in the hopes she would continue to sleep.

Cindy returned shortly and handed the kids some blankets and pillows, like she'd promised. She crouched down to me and held up a bottle of water and one of apple juice. "For the little one if she needs it," she whispered. "She seems to be a bit under the weather and I thought this might help if she wakes. There is no vending machine on fourth — the cafeteria is on the main floor, west wing — but I know you won't want to be too far from Rosalie…"

Oh, she was an angel, this woman. I could hardly thank her enough, though I would try.

"Thank you for all your help," I said softly, carefully holding onto Alice with one arm so I could shake Cindy's hand. "We truly appreciate all you have done for our family this evening."

She self-deprecatingly brushed it off as a part of her job description, but it was rare to find a nurse quite this caring — and I knew a lot of great RNs at Cayuga.

Esme and I thanked Cindy again. She left us, and all we had to do was sit, sleep, and wait for some news about Rose. Shortly thereafter, Alice began to move around again and push away from me. Her eyes opened and she looked around first before looking up at me. I gave her a smile and some time to adjust to her surroundings before speaking. She was slightly confused it seemed, but the shock wore off almost immediately and she relaxed into a seated position on my lap.

"How are you feeling, sweetie?" I asked her, pressing the back of my hand to her rosy cheek. I was pleased that she was not overly feverish now — just a touch warmer than normal. It was probably a virus that had gotten the best of her at a time of her vulnerability. She had not been ill prior to tonight, but a lack of sleep and the stress was more than enough trauma to mess up any immune system, and Alice had not been sleeping well for weeks now. None of us had, actually.

She contemplated my question and then sighed before she placed her head against my chest again. "Where's Rosie?"

"She's resting at the moment, hon."

Alice nodded understandably and whispered, "She's gonna be okay though." It was not a question.

"Yes," I exhaled. "She will be." I glanced over to my wife, who was stifling her tears again. "I'm going to go talk with her doctor in a moment, darling. Is it alright if I pass you over to your mother? You should try to sleep some more — all of you should rest if you can." For most of them, it would be hard to do, but Alice was pretty drowsy still.

Alice sat up agreeably for me to scoop her into my arms and pass her over to her mother on the sofa. I picked up the water and handed it to them so it would be accessible if she was ready to drink something. I pulled out my wallet and handed out a few twenty dollar bills to the kids. "For food or drink," I told them. "If you do go down to the cafeteria, stick together and be on your best behavior." I didn't really have to tell them that, but it slipped out anyway.

"Thanks," a few of them mumbled, but no one got up.

"I will be back as soon as I can," I promised my family, nodding directly at Emmett so he knew I was thinking especially about him. His eyes were bloodshot and squinted as he made eye contact with me in return. I was on a mission to go get some good news for him.

* * *

I spoke with Dr. Green, who was overseeing Rosalie's care. He was quite positive that she would make a full recovery, though it would take some time for her injuries to heal completely.

Her broken ribs would take the most time to heal. She was going to need close monitoring to ensure that there were no complications such as pneumonia or another pneumothorax developing. Her respiration was better, but a touch shallow apparently — probably her body's way of protecting itself from the pain that it would feel if she were to breathe deeper at this time. I would see to it that she would have the best care when she came home and try to help her to avoid such complications.

Dr. Green wanted her to spend the night in the PICU because of the amount of bruising she had sustained and swelling that she had in her kidneys. He expressed a concern for her blood pressure, which was abnormally high. However, if her vitals improved a bit more, as he suspected they would with time as the swelling came down, she could be moved into another ward.

I was granted permission to see Rosalie after I passed on the good news from her doctor to my wife and kids. Emmett wanted to come with me, but Dr. Green had been adamant that only Esme or I were allowed to visit her at this time since she was not entirely out of the woods yet. While I understood the concern to have younger children in a critical care setting, I felt that Emmett could have handled himself fairly well.

I patted my son on the back and told him that it wouldn't be much longer until she was out of the ICU and he could sit by her as long as he liked. He grumbled a few words, but cooperated and took his seat in the waiting room again.

Esme wanted me to take the first shift with Rosalie so I kissed her and cheek and hugged and kissed each one of the kids before we parted ways.

We decided that it was a good idea to check into a hotel so we had a home base near the hospital. Esme was going to take the kids – except Emmett refused to leave the hospital – with her to book several rooms at the hotel across the street and try to get some rest. We agreed that she would come switch places with me after breakfast the next morning.

When they had left, I hurried to Rosalie's beside and took her hand.

It was for the best the kids could not see her like she was at the moment. She was breathing on her own, which thrilled me to see, but was on oxygen and attached to several monitors and other equipment that would have her immobilized in bed for some time. The worst of it was the large tube that ran from inside her chest to a drainage system next to her bed. A smaller drain would replace it tomorrow most likely, but until then, the scene was a bit much for anyone to view. It tore me up inside to witness, as well — and I saw things like this on a daily basis.

She was asleep, but her hand would twitch or her face would tighten sometimes. Every now and then a soft whimper would come from inside her throat and her eyelids would crinkle, but instead of waking they would relax and she would be still again.

The nurses were wonderful, coming in and out to check on her — and me, which was kind of them but not necessary. I was fine. I was fine as long as the numbers on her monitor didn't make any sudden changes. I felt like I had been driving for hours upon hours the way the lines and numbers would blur and go in and out of focus. Blinking only helped a little bit now… I was dead tired.

For a moment Rose turned her head, and this time her eyelids fluttered open and I stood up, not knowing what to do with this revelation. I still had her hand in mine, cautious of the IV port that was taped to the back of her hand. I gave it a light squeeze, but her eyes were already closed again and she looked asleep.

I took a long inhale and then let it out slowly. My lips murmured a soft prayer for her well-being and I leaned in over her and told her, "Emmett is in the next room and he wanted me to tell you that he loves you very much." I wasn't sure if she could hear me, due to the pain management cocktail she was heavily sedated with, but I would tell her anyway. "We all love you, Rose."

Her mouth opened, her nose crinkled and her eyelids squeezed tighter for a moment and then she was relaxed once more. I bent down closer and gave her forehead a kiss. I think she heard me.

To Be Continued…

* * *

**_What do you make of Carlisle's struggle as a parent? How about the reactions of the other Cullens? What touched you most about this chapter? _**

_Coming up Next- Rosalie is reunited with her family... and with Emmett. _

_**Thank you for Reading**_


	34. Chapter 34 Breakthrough

_Thank you to Catharticone and RandomSugarRush for their beta help. _

_Disclaimer: These are not my characters, but the plot is mine. :)_

_*Thank you to everyone for the lovely reviews. There are a few new illustrations in my DA 'Thorns' gallery (links are on my profile page). And as promised, here is ch 34...  
_

* * *

**Thorns**

**Chapter Thirty-Four**

I could hear a soft hush of something blowing, and there was a lot of random noise, as well as some rhythmic, beeping sounds coming from around me. The more I listened, the more irritated and agitated I became.

"Shhh," someone whispered. "You're alright, honey." I felt a soft touch on my hand and cheek.

I had been vaguely aware that someone was with me while I slept. For some reason, I could picture Carlisle's face hovering over me at one point, but it could very easily have been a dream. The voice I heard now was higher. And even though Carlisle was a khaki pants and sweater vest kind of guy, he was not feminine in any way.

It was a deep, murky half-sleep that I was under. I was aware of some things, but everything was dulled down. I would drift in and out of consciousness and sometimes there would be a light in my eyes or someone touching me, poking me, and squeezing my arm too tightly.

_Fuck off_, I wanted to scream at each interruption. I wanted to sleep, and there were people bugging me!

Everything hurt... I hadn't opened my eyes yet, but if it hurt this much now, then I didn't want to see what was causing that pain. My body ached in this strange muted way — I must have been in bad shape. I was nauseated, dizzy, and there was a heavy pressure constant in my chest with each breath I took. Though it was dark behind my closed eyelids, I thought that maybe I was spinning and _that _was the most unpleasant feeling.

My memory was foggy at first as I tried to think back to what had happened, but immediately I recalled the moment I had almost shot Royce.

I don't know what came over me, but I couldn't go through with shooting him — and it was not just because I was scared of the weapon. I was scared of being a killer. As terrible as Royce was, and even though I wanted him dead, I could not have killed him that way. So, I had thrown the gun out the window instead, and then tried to run away.

He had fallen still on the carpet in my bedroom, and I thought he had passed out. But a minute later — I had not made my way past Lily's dead body yet — he was behind me in the hallway. He chased me to the top of the staircase, and that's where I fell down. He got in a few more kicks, but I managed to push him off me one last time, and he went backwards tumbling down the stairs...

He never came back up.

Thank God he never got back up, because I couldn't seem to get up after that fall, either. I was spent and I had not been able to catch my breath — my lungs felt like they were on fire.

Emmett had been there... I think... and Carlisle, too! I was pretty sure I had not been dreaming that part. It had been too good to be true that they were with me, but I was sure that part I was not hallucinating. Even if I had been, it sure was a nice dream and it helped me to endure the pain.

Suddenly, I was aware of an itch on my face, and my body wanted to react...

I moaned as I made the motion with my hand to move, but it didn't want to cooperate — it was strapped down tightly. Shooting pain shot up into my shoulder, chest and back when I tried to use my arm.

I tried to speak, but I took too deep a breath first and it winded me, and I heard a whimper escape my lips instead and gave up.

"Oh, dear. No no... Don't try to move, sweetheart. Just relax," the soft feminine voice cooed anxiously near my ear. "Hold on. I will get a nurse. I'll be right back, darling."

My hand was left cold and I heard someone saying, "Yes, she's seems to be in pain. Are you sure? She moved her arm a bit — or she tried to — and then she appeared to be in some pain..."

The voices mumbled back and forth for a while, and I hated to be talked about like I was not in the room. I couldn't just lie there any longer. I made a very conscious effort to open my eyes and eventually my body allowed the action to take place.

The lights were dim, but it appeared to be daylight. There were a bunch of tiny dots floating dizzyingly around me in colourful swirls until eventually they grew calmer and positioned themselves on monitors and the buttons on the bed handrail that was in my line of view.

I really should have thought about a better first word to utter when I saw her leaning in so close to me, but all I could think of was the pain — a sharp jab on my thigh — and I moaned, "Fuck...off." That hurt!

"What was that?" this lady in pink asked me.

_Had I mumbled__? _

"I said..." My voice was raw and scratchy, but the words were defiantly clear this time as I said them. "Fuck... Off."

"Oh, Rose!" Esme's face came into view over mine, her hair lit up by the light behind her head and she smiled at me like she was a mirage or something. "Hey, sweetie! How are you?" She used a very gentle tone, which I appreciated since my head felt like it was in a vice.

"Are— Are you... real?" I wanted to make sure I was not dead or something.

She puffed a soft, pleasing sigh and nodded. "Yes. I'm real, hon."

I hadn't seen her in my dreams though. I was confused. "Where's... Car-lisle?"

"Carlisle was here with you all through the night and this morning, but we switched so he could shower and take a nap. Would you rather he came and sat with you? He wouldn't mind. I'll get him! Should I call-"

"No," I stopped her. I panted a few times to catch my breath. Man, I was in rough shape. I tried to say more, but only, "...you'll do," came out of my mouth. I couldn't seem to find the strength for more.

Her forehead crinkled and she hushed me. "Shhh, darling... just rest then. I will stay right here."

I didn't want to make her feel unwelcome — because I was so blessed she had forgiven me for the way I had left at the end of the summer — but I had to ask one more thing...

"Em?"

"You really ought to be resting, Rosalie," the fat lady in pink added her two cents where it was not needed. I despised her already. She had this smart-ass look on her face like she was scolding me.

I was about to tell her to shove it, but Esme intervened and told me, "Emmett is in the waiting room. He is thinking of you and sends all his love. He is not allowed in here — only parents are... When you're feeling a bit better they will allow him in to visit you."

That sounded like a load of horse crap to me, but that was too many words to say so I grimaced and grunted irritably.

"I know, hon. I know. Soon, okay? You just try to rest now."

"The morphine should be kicking in," the pink marshmallow lady said.

"I will tell Emmett you were thinking of him. He will be so pleased to hear you're awake now," Esme reassured me with a kind, shaky smile.

I almost smiled back. I wanted to tell Emmett I loved him, just in case this was a dream and it was my last chance to tell him how happy he made me. I felt warm and safe at the thought of seeing him again.

A strange weightlessness came over me and I grew sleepy again. The room began to get smaller and swirl around Esme as my eyes drooped. She kept running her hand through my hair and whispering to me that I should "rest." I closed my eyes to appease her. I felt her fingers on my face and they brushed over my forehead and settle on my head. It felt soothing... I had missed her lovey-dovey ways. Her closeness put me at ease, and I let sleep take me.

* * *

Something tight squeezed my arm, and I was suddenly aware of my surroundings again. This time, when I heard the soft humming noise and the squeeze on my arm, I grumbled to myself and a sharp pain pierced my chest when I took too deep a breath. I gasped slightly and tried to calm myself.

I managed to open my eyes a bit and saw Carlisle was with me now. He was sitting on a chair next to me with his head resting on the edge of the bed awkwardly. His eyes were closed, and his hand was on mine. I debated if I should wake him or not. The more I thought about not moving, the more I wanted to move — just to be sure I still could...

My one hand was all taped up with an IV in it and something clipped to my index finger, but I could move all my fingers so I was pleased. I didn't mess around too much, but I did find the source of my annoyance... It was a pressure cuff wrapped snugly around that same arm. It would have to go!

I wiggled a few fingers under Carlisle's large hand, and he woke up almost immediately and lifted his head. He blinked a few times before he seemed to fully wake up. His complexion was a bit chalky and he had dark grey circles under his eyes. It was the worst I had ever seen him. His eyes sparkled intensely blue in contrast to how bloodshot they were, but they were still so very kind looking as they gazed back at me.

"Jesus... " I croaked at him. "You look awful."

His seriousness faded, and he smiled widely at that statement. He ran a hand through is unkempt hair and nodded, not making any excuses for his appearance.

"Esme told me you were doing better," he chuckled. I looked at him quizzically. "I heard you were giving Vicky a hard time and though I can't say I approve of your language choices, I was pleased to know you are still as feisty as ever."

Again, I had no fucking idea what he was talking about. I would have shrugged but my body was so heavy it didn't want to work that hard.

"Vicky was the nurse overseeing your medications last night... "

"That bitch hurt me!" I grumbled defensively. He chuckled again and didn't even seem upset with me for swearing. He overlooked it completely and kissed the top of my head with a soft smuck sound.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, looking me over quickly and then glancing over his shoulder at a monitor with some numbers and lines flashing over it. It only took him a moment to read it and then he was smiling at me once again. "Are you in any pain right now?"

"No... not... right now," I breathed carefully as I thought about how I was feeling. My nose itched and I reached up to find there was some thin, plastic tubing taped to my face and two little prongs were blowing something into my nostrils. I grimaced with disgust and contemplated ripping it away.

"It's just some oxygen," Carlisle explained, touching my hand and moving it from my face. "You will have to be on it for a few more days as your body heals." He didn't tell me why.

"Can you take this one off?" I asked him, looking down at the cuff on my arm and then back at his sorrowful face. He shook his head.

"Sorry, sweetie. Your blood pressure needs to be monitored regularly. Once some of the swelling is gone in your back and abdomen, then you won't have to have it on all the time."

"It keeps waking me up," I complained with a pout.

"I know... I'm sorry. It's just for a while longer, sweetie. You're doing so well. Dr. Green is weaning you slowly off the high dose of morphine you have been on, but if you're in pain you need to tell us right away so we can up the dosage." Carlisle shifted closer and took my hand again. "Are you sure you're not hurting anywhere? Would you like me to call a nurse or your doctor?"

"Um..." I hummed. My head was still kind of fuzzy. I looked down at my right arm, all strapped up in a sling and propped on a low pillow and wondered if it was broken or something. I had forgotten what we were talking about.

"Do you have any pain in your shoulder?" Carlisle asked me, rubbing his thumb back and forth over my hand, but he didn't move my arm at all.

"Not really," I admitted, "My side hurts the most... when I breathe."

He nodded, his forehead knit tightly with a few creases that normally were not there. He sighed and told me, "You have several rib fractures on your right side. And..." He paused for a moment and studied my face carefully. "I don't want to frighten you, dear... Perhaps I should get your-"

"Tell me," I insisted. "Please. I want to know how bad it is." And I would rather hear it from Carlisle than a stranger. He took a deep inhale and offered me a soft smile of comfort before he continued.

It was rather upsetting to hear what had happened, but I did my best not to panic. I found out why it was so hard to take deep breaths and why my arm was in a sling. It was not so bad. Some bruises, broken ribs, and a dislocated shoulder. All I could think about was whether or not I would be disfigured — which is shallow of me perhaps, but important.

The most horrible part was the fact I had a tube inside my chest that couldn't come out for a few more days. I was not pleased to hear the details, but Carlisle assured me that it would hardly leave a scar. I was also worried about my arm, but he told me that after some physical therapy I should regain full use of it. He told me it could have been a lot worse, and under the circumstances I had been lucky I had not been injured more severely.

Apparently, I was showing great improvement already and he was genuinely happy to say that I wouldn't have to stay in the PICU for much longer. "Dr. Green will be coming by in a while to check on you, and if he is pleased with how you're doing he wants to sign for a room transfer."

I asked about Emmett and he gave me the same answer as Esme — that Emmett had not left the hospital since I had arrived, but he was not allowed to see me yet. He told me that it was a critical care setting and only parents were allowed in to see their children. He almost sounded proud when he told me that, because there he was, standing in as my father when there was no way that it was legal.

"The whole family is here, darling. We're staying at the hotel across the street. Esme and I have been taking turns sitting with you," he whispered. "The kids send their love, of course, and wish they could be here with you too. Emmett especially..."

"Tell them..."

_Who was I kidding?_ I was terrible at sentimental stuff. Carlisle seemed to understand why I had hesitated.

"I will let them know you were awake, alert, and thinking about them too," he replied with a slight grin.

"M 'kay," was all I managed to say to that, but the stupid monitor beside my bed flashed some numbers at us and Carlisle noticed the change. He made sure I was not in too much pain and he adamantly insisted that I get some more rest. I tried to roll my eyes, but it hurt my head too much.

"Try to sleep, dear. Your body needs it," he cooed. "Alice is determined that by evening you will be allowed visitors, and Emmett has taken this to be a fact. You don't want to be the one prove Alice wrong, do you?"

He laughed softly. Perhaps he was teasing, but he sounded partially serious, too.

My lips managed a faint smile, but it hurt so it didn't last long. I felt a bit better now, knowing that I was doing okay and that Emmett was very close nearby and I would see him soon. I was nice to know the whole family was here. I couldn't sleep, but my eyes were tired and I closed them and accepted Carlisle's hand on mine as he took his place by my bedside again.

* * *

Later that evening, like Alice had predicted, I was moved to my own room out of the PICU and into the children's ward.

Dr. Green was brief with his visit. He looked over some papers and said the same things Carlisle had told me — only in a blunter, more unfeeling manner. The poor dude was probably bitter because he was around the same age as Carlisle and not anywhere near as handsome or as intelligent. It was painfully obvious who all the nurses were swooning over. I wondered if Esme noticed — or even cared. Carlisle didn't seem to be aware of the attention at all!

Dr. Green was nowhere near as compassionate as Carlisle either… His movements were too quick and he offered no apologies when his touch hurt me. I managed to keep all my curse words to myself, but I didn't like Dr. Green. Well, until he told me that I was ready to move to a private room and that my family would be able to visit me finally. That was good news.

Carlisle thanked Dr. Green for me. Then he and some nurses began to unhook wires from monitors to prepare me for the room switch. It was a very tedious, boring process and I was not the most patient person in the universe. I didn't see why we could not just rip off half the things that I was plugged into. There were too many of them— and their purpose was not entirely clear to me.

Carlisle told to save my energy and put away my pout. This time around my sarcasm was displayed with a proper roll of my eyes.

However, he was right... I was exhausted by the time they finally wheeled the bed down the hallway.

Emmett was the first one in there to greet me. They had to stop the bed because he was so desperate to hold my hand. And then he insisted on walking along beside me the whole way there, not taking no for an answer.

He kept apologizing for not being with me sooner, and he would not stop rambling in his adorably idiotic fashion as people worked around his huge body to get me situated in my new bed. One nurse was pretty decent about Emmett being there, but the other was giving him the stink eye as she injected something into my IV line. Carlisle patted him on the back and told him not to wear me out too much, that I was still weak and needed to stay calm and rest.

"I'm fine, Carlisle."

Before Carlisle could say anything Emmett went on another long ramble.

"You're fine? You're really okay? Oh, I was so worried, Rose. You have no idea how messed up I've been for the last few days. I never stop thinking about you, but this was the worst — not knowing. Dad and Mom kept telling me you were getting better, but I needed to see you and tell you-" Emmett stopped and then straightened up a bit, looking at Carlisle.

"Alright, I can take an obvious hint when I see one," Carlisle laughed. "I need to call your mother anyway to tell her what room you are in. I'll be back in a bit."

"Thanks dad," Emmett replied.

Carlisle left to give us some privacy and Emmett hovered over me. He was a bit scared to touch me, but I told him not to worry — just to be gentle, and he experimented with that. He kissed my nose about ten times in a minute, smiling like a goof each time. "It's the only place not bruised," he told me in a shy murmur. "And it's just such a pretty nose, I can't stop kissing it."

"You're insane," I whispered blissfully, loving every tiny kiss he gave me.

No matter how much I nagged at him to stop fretting and to have a seat, he would not let go of my hand. And he was only holding on to a few of my fingers because he was scared to touch the IV.

"No way, babe! I'm not leaving your side ever again."

"Thank you," I told him with a sigh.

"For what?" he questioned me.

"For coming to my rescue," I answered him. "You're my hero, Em."

"Well, actually," he said sheepishly, "I don't know how much you remember, and I am not supposed to make you talk about it yet, but Dad was the hero. He kept me calm and made sure you were okay. He was with you the whole way to the hospital and talked to all your doctors to make sure they would take the best care of you... I'm not a hero, Rose. He is."

"I called you and you came." My eyes burned with tears. "I remember Carlisle helping me, and I won't ever forget it, but I remember you too — holding my hand and reminding me over and over that you love me. That's what saved me."

He kissed my nose again. "I will always come when you call, Rose. Just call my name... and I'll be there."

"Isn't that a song?" I giggled, losing the seriousness of the topic suddenly. I grin widely up at him. "Fuck! I feel good!" I told him. I felt so happy and in love.

"Uh..." He hummed with an amused expression. I gave him the best glare I could, but it was surely the most pitiful… He snorted with laughter and kissed my fingers this time. He was beaming at me like he was enjoying this way too much.

That stink-eyed nurse drugged me — I could tell! If I was not so fucking content I would bitch about her slipping it to me without a warning. It was great to be so cheerful over mundane things — not a care in the world. I could focus on what really mattered…

"This must be what it's like to be Alice!" I blurted out.

"Maybe!" Emmett replied sweetly. "Uh... Did anyone tell you about-"

"Kiss me again," I ordered boldly, the corners of my lips curling up in a grin. This was kind of fun!

He kissed my nose again... and then again. He stopped and looked a bit more serious. I pouted at him to mock, but he had something to tell me, I guess so I tried to behave and listen.

"Uh, did mom or dad tell you about Alice?" He asked cautiously.

"What about her?"

"She's the one who told us you were in danger, Rose. I mean, I had a feeling when I had not heard from you that night, but Alice is the one who made Dad and me come to you — before you even made that call to me. She thought— Well, I won't tell you the long version, but..." he told me somberly. "I thought you should know that she is the one who sent us to you. She knew you would call and you would need us so we were already on the way to you when you called me."

I didn't quite know what to say to that. Alice was certainly a strange little creature, but this was a bit freaky.

"I've never seen her so upset over a nightmare before," Emmett explained further. "She really believes she saw what happened to you. From her account of the events and what the police have found in evidence, she is right on the marker so far — it is so weird. She's literally made herself sick over it."

"Maybe she's psychic?" I rationalized with a thoughtful grin. It didn't even sound all that crazy.

I had not heard the nurse come back in, but her soft laughter alerted me to her next to my bed. "Sounds like _someone_ is enjoying the pain meds and is feeling a lot better," she sang.

"Make her leave, Em," I whispered a bit too loudly. "She's bothering me."

"Alright, alright," she said with a condescending tone of amusement. She touched a few more buttons on the IV stand next to my bed. "I will be only a push button away if you need anything, Rosalie."

"Thank you," Emmett told her as she slipped out the door.

"Was I too rude?" I asked him.

"Uh, no, babe," He lied.

"Hmmm," I hummed blissfully. I loved it when he was on my side — even when I was being ridiculous.

"God, you are so beautiful," he told me sweetly. "I love you so much, Rose. I would not know what I'd do without you." He was never one for being subtle. "I just want to kiss you all over and never stop!" He was trembling a bit, holding back, as his lips pecked my nose and then he got courageous and kissed my forehead too.

The thought of kissing him was a lovely one. I had no idea what my appearance was like right now, but I was sore and my face hurt so I must have been hideous to look at. The fact he still could think about making out with me made me love him even more.

"I love you, Em," I sighed contently, feeling so good that I forgot again that I had to be careful with my breathing. He caught my wince and backed away with his hands open and apart.

"Sorry. Sorry," he apologized. "You okay? You need me to get the nurse? Do you want Dad? Maybe I should get Dad?"

I sucked in my breath and shook my head. The moment of sharp pain in my side had passed. I exhaled slowly. "I'm fine."

There was a light knock on the door and then it opened. Esme and Carlisle entered, Esme a bit hesitant, but Carlisle had his arm around her and eased her in gently.

"Hey," she whispered. She looked tired without much makeup on, but she was still such a lovely sight to see. Her dimples were present as she smiled pleasantly at me and she came closer. "Hi, honey. How are you doing?" Her eyes were glossed over with tears.

"Good."

"She's been talking smack to the nurses again," Emmett told on me with a grin. "Scared that last one away without even a swear word this time."

Carlisle chuckled and Esme cooed over me even deeper.

"Oh? I hope you've been cooperating, darling," Esme chastised mildly, combing her fingers through my hair. "We want you to heal up and come home to us as soon as you're well enough."

"Home?" I asked. I had been so out of it I had not really thought a lot about what was going to happen to me now. I knew, though I didn't dare say it out loud, that Lily was dead. I pushed the thought from my mind and sighed shakily.

"We have some good news," Carlsile said, stepping forward to put his hand over Esme's which was holding mine already. His pause made me anxious, but the smile burst from his lips told me everything was okay. "We spoke to Clara... Everything is in order for you to come home with us when you're released from the hospital. She wanted me to pass on her well wishes to you and said to tell you that she will be in to visit you in a couple of days."

"Really?"

I had been hoping for this for months — for something to happen that would send me back to the Cullens forever. It was tragic what happened, and I was scared to face that truth, but I was going home!

"Really," Esme replied with a soft nod. "You're our girl, Rose. We're sorry for the way everything worked out — that you were hurt — but we are so thrilled we can take you home again. We love you so much, darling." I could tell she was a bit upset, probably about Lily and Royce, but I was too selfish to think about anything but myself at this time.

With the morphine and whatever else that they were pumping into me to ease my troubles... I was in a hazy blur of my own happiness at the thought of going to live with the Cullens indefinitely. I almost wondered if this scene was some mirage I was staring into. It hardly seemed real for life to get any better than this.

Esme was crying happily beside me and Carlisle was trying to keep himself together and console her. Emmett was beaming like a kid at Christmas time...

"I love you too," I told them.

The pressure built inside my chest again… It was a good kind of pain — and had absolutely nothing to do with my injuries.

To Be Continued…

* * *

_**How was that for growth? What moment stood out most prominently to you? Do you think Rosalie's heart will grow thrice it's normal size now that she has gotten her family back? ;)**_

_Coming up Next- It's three weeks later, Rose is home, and there is about to be a Christmas miracle (maybe more than one)..._

_**Thank you for reading!**_

_The next chapter will mark the end of "Thorns." It will be posted on Monday, Nov 1st. _

_*Reminder- A new illustration has been posted in my DeviantArt Gallery (links on my profile) of Esme and Rosalie to accompany this chapter if you are interested in taking a peek. :) And-It is not a scene written in, but there is a drawing of Bella and Edward sitting in the hallway, outside of Rosalie's hospital room too. ;) Tell me what you think is going on in that scene. I would love to hear your thoughts. :)  
_


	35. Chapter 35 Wonderful Life

_Thank you to Catharticone and RandomSugarRush for their help editing this story. I could not have managed to do this on my own. Xoxo! _

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight Saga Characters-they belong to Stephanie Meyer. The rest of this story belongs to me.  
_

_*To all the readers who followed along with this story as it was being posted: I am very appreciative of all your support. I may not have succeeded in completion if you had not been so encouraging. :) Thank you! *blows kisses__* _

_

* * *

_**Thorns**

**Epilogue**

Three Weeks Later...

The time had passed by so quickly. Even though two of those weeks were spent in Rochester General, the week I spent at home — my home — in Ithaca with my family was better than I could have hoped for. That was really saying something since I was still very sore from my chest injury that I spend most my time in my new bedroom hugging a pillow.

I had to be reminded how to breathe properly... It was not like I forgot how — I was not a moron! It was just a lot harder to do with my ribs being so sore still, that's all. Emmett was sympathetic, but Esme and Carlisle were on my back constantly.

I was happy to be home, though — instead of the stinky hospital surrounded by all those do-gooder nurses. I mean, some were decent, but others were too nice it made me want to throw the liquid food diet they served me back in their faces!

Esme was a much better cook and I was back to eating anything I wanted now. And she was quite vocal about how thin I had become. She vowed that I would not be dieting so extremely again.

Pecker had called the house once. I don't know how he got the number, but he had real nerve to call and ask when I'd been able to go back to work. Carlisle told him that he was fired — that we'd be finding other representation for me — and that if he ever contacted me or anyone else in our family he would call the authorities and have a restraining order put out against him.

Esme and Carlisle were united in their front — that I could continue to model if it didn't interfere with my school work or my health. They also insisted that they had the final call on any job I was going to take, depending on the content and the maturity of the photo shoot. I wish I could have been upset with them for trying to rule my life, but it actually felt nice that they were in charge and that they cared enough to set guidelines.

I liked to be waited on and served all my meals in bed, but this was not as fun as it sounded. Carlisle was pretty strict about all the medications and the physical therapy that I had to do for my shoulder and to keep my lungs from filling with fluid. It was a pain in my ass, but Carlisle was on me every day about how important it was to breathe deeply and to cough several times every few hours to clear my lungs... Even if it hurt. He told me that I was at risk of pneumonia if I was breathing too shallow so he would literally sit there and watch over me to make sure I did the exercises correctly.

"You didn't want to go to the hospital for your therapy, so you have to listen to your doctor's orders and let Carlisle guide you at home as you were instructed to do. Besides, sweetheart, your father knows best so you'd better do as he says. It's important," Esme would remind me when I complained to her.

So, I did as they told me and it was true that it was helping — I was getting better every day. And so far, no complications had set me back. I was able to walk without too much pain now, though I was not allowed to go anywhere without someone there to chaperone me and spot me. It was absurd, but I could not talk them out of it!

Emmett was my nursemaid whenever he was not at school. He waited on me hand and foot for the first few days and then I made him go to basketball practice because I hated that he was missing out because of me. He didn't want to, but Carlisle and Esme sided with me and forced him to go because he had already missed too many practices and he needed to keep up his game if he didn't want to be benched.

Alice was over the moon to be my own personal slave. Using her to fetch things got old quickly, though. She was exhausting to be around, I had forgotten about that! Esme and Carlisle tried to get her to bug off so I could rest, but she was very sneaky and quiet when she wanted to be. She'd slip into my room when they were not looking and bombard me with questions about the fashions I had been privileged enough to wear before they hit the runways or department stores.

"Are you going to model still? I hope so! Can I come to all your photo shoots? I can help, you know. I will be quiet and hold things for you, okay? I promise I won't be annoying if you let me come with you sometimes. Please, Rose? Can I come?" She would ramble on and on and hardly let me answer.

She was being particularly persistent and annoying today. The same questions over and over!

"For fuck's sake, Alice. No! You can't come. You're such an unbelievable pest! Now go to your own room or I will call for help or for someone to come remove you," I threatened her. But she knew I wouldn't follow through...

"I thought you said, it hurt you too much to yell," she reminded me with a cheeky grin.

"Al-ice..." I pleaded for her to go away. "Leave me alone and maybe I will bring you back something from set sometime, okay?"

"Really? You can do that? Do you get to keep the clothing every time? What about the shoes?"

"Yes. Yes. Yes. Now, shut up or leave before I change my mind and never bring you anything good!"

She hushed up and pouted for a few minutes, but she didn't go. She would usually sneak out as slyly as she came in. But if not, I would ignore her and flip through magazines while she chattered away to herself about random fashion ideas and plots.

A lot of the modeling jobs I had done months ago for clothing campaigns were starting to make their way into the magazines. Alice had caught on to this and demanded she tear out each page of me for her collection. I was annoyed at first with her obsession, but I could not really get too mad with her for wanting to be like me. I wish I could have been a better, nicer, role model for her, but that was never going to happen. I could be civil — sometimes — but 'nice' was not my thing.

"Fine... Take the magazine and get out," I conceded and let her have the one I was done with so she could go cut out all the pages she wanted. According to Bella, who was sleeping in Alice's room until I was feeling a bit stronger, Alice had a collage of my photos on her wall over her bed. I had to admit, that was a bit strange, but I was still sort of flattered.

Alice was a little odd, but she had been instrumental in saving my life — sending Carlisle and Emmett to my aid that night — so I had an unspoken respect for her now.

"Oh!" she piped up and got up to leave like she was in a real hurry. I thought, at first, she had finally obeyed my threats, but a moment after she had disappeared Carlisle was in the doorway.

"Knock knock," he said as he rapped on the frame melodically. He was in a neat blue shirt and beige slacks, just home from work, but he must have changed. He had his stethoscope folded and clenched neatly into his hand that rested by his side. "May I come in?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "If I said no…?" I challenged him. Of course he thought I was joking, though. He typically, gave me the benefit of the doubt when it came to my sarcasm. He chuckled and let himself in.

"How are you feeling this afternoon?"

"Fine," I answered lowly. I hugged my pillow closer to my chest as an act of defiance.

It was childish of me, but I was sick and tired of being treated like I was some fragile waif like Bella was… That girl had slipped on black ice in the hospital parking lot last Friday and was now in a cast from her thumb to her elbow. I was taken home, and poor Carlisle had to stay back with her for a whole day and night while they waited for the swelling to come down so they could set her arm and cast it.

I was becoming a bigger nuisance than Bella at the moment… and that was pretty pathetic!

His smile faded and his eyes darted down sadly for a moment.

"What?" I demanded.

"I know you've talked with Esme a bit about what happened that night, the loss of your mother and the attack on your own life. You've been handling the trauma remarkably well, but I wanted to ask how you were doing… emotionally, I mean," he asked tentatively. "Are you sleeping well enough now, without the morphine?"

"Uh huh," I mumbled quickly.

It was a touchy subject. It was kind of Carlisle to inquire about my feelings, because I think he really did care about that sort of thing, but it was hard to talk about. I told Esme because she the only one here in the afternoons when I napped and she knew that I didn't sleep well. Esme was so open about everything and she wanted me to talk about my mother — she didn't mind at all.

It upset me to think about Royce or Lily. Each time their name crossed my mind I would feel sickness. I had nightmares about Lily several nights in a row — she would be dead, but then her eyes would open, blood red and she would spring out to grab me, but I would wake in a cold sweat before the dream could continue.

I had hated Lily for so long that it was hard to deal with my grief over her death. I had never wanted her dead, of course. Not in the way she died, especially — it was too horrible. The vision of her in that hallway as I tried to escape haunted me. She had been trying to stop Royce. There had been a struggle and she lost to his gun — simple as that. I would probably never forgive her for everything she put me through, but I was upset by her death. It was hard to wrap my mind around this concept.

Royce was a monster, but in self-defense his fall had saved my life. I felt a little less upset by his death, simply because it meant that I didn't have to fear him anymore. Mostly, I thought about how close he came to killing me that night. I was glad that I chickened out and not shot him. Killing someone would have changed me for the worse, I imagine. I was bitter and cold enough as it was, but at least now I had a fighting chance at being a happier person one day. I was still innocent.

"How about the nightmares? Did they wake you up again last night?" Carlisle asked, seeming to know that I was holding back.

"Yes, once," I admitted, "But it was not as bad as it has been. I was able to calm down a lot quicker and I went back to sleep again."

"I'm glad you were able to handle the situation so well on your own, sweetheart," he told me kindly. "Remember that Esme and I are happy to come sit by you if you need. You're not alone, hon. All you have to do is call us."

"Ya," I squeaked, "I know." They would put the phone from their room by my bed at night and if I needed them I was supposed to press the intercom button. I never felt right about waking them up, though. And sometimes, Emmett would sneak in to lie next to me and I preferred that anyway.

"May I?" Carlisle inquired politely hovering to sit down next to me on the bed.

"Mmhm." I nodded apathetically and he took a seat and unfolded his stethoscope.

"Any more pain?" he asked of me, "Esme told me you only took one of the Tylenol I left out of you. Was it enough?"

"I think so," I replied. "I don't feel any worse than when I was taking two."

"That's a good sign," he murmured reassuringly and he gave my hand a light squeeze. He placed his instrument in his ears and motioned for me to move the pillow and lean forward so he could listen to my breathing. I knew the drill. At least he was pretty quick about it, but the repetition had me kind of cranky and irritable.

"Deep breaths for me, honey," he reminded me again — for the billionth time.

"I know!" I hissed lowly and I inched forward for him so he could listen to my back first, and then at my chest. It was harder to do when he was watching me so intently. I felt pressure to impress him so he might not have to scold me, but each time we did this he would comment that I was still breathing too shallow and then ask me to cough for him. It was so humiliating.

This time, however, I must have done something right. He pulled back, removing his stethoscope and placing it in his lap. He gave me a smile and said, "You're lungs sound clear and healthy. I'm very happy with how well you are recovering, darling."

My eyes narrowed in suspicion. He was being very positive, and yet his face was still troubled slightly and that worried me.

_What was going on?_

"How do you feel about a short road trip this weekend? Do you think you would be able to handle a five-hour drive in the car without too much discomfort? I don't want to push you if you're not ready to travel-"

"A road trip?" I interrupted. "Why? Where am I going?" I took in a sharp inhale and winced slightly, my lips tightening together in defense. Clara had told me that I could stay with the Cullens for good this time!

_Had she lied? Had the Cullens changed their minds?_

"Relax, honey. Wewere thinking that _we_ would _all _go to spend Christmas at Blue Mountain Lake if you're feeling up for it," he told me softly.

I sighed and did calm down a bit. _Okay, they mean me too._ It was hard to break old habits, apparently. At least now, I trusted him.

"It is a family tradition, but I've been hesitant to make any promises to Esme or the kids yet until I was sure you were out of the woods."

_Out of the woods?_ I rolled my eyes. What a stupid expression! Who did he think he was talking to — Little Red Riding Hood?

"Esme has her heart set on it. She asked me if I thought you were well enough to make the trip. From what I can tell, you are stable and so long as your pain has not increased any, I would allow for you to make the journey. What do you think, hon?"

"I'm fine, Carlisle. I can sit on my ass in a car just as well as I can here in bed," I told him flatly. My heart leaped with exhilaration, though. The cabin was more my home than this room in Ithaca. It would be nice to go back there.

"It's our usual home for the holiday, but we are prepared to set up here if need be. I'd hate to move you too much if we can help it — I know you're feeling better, but you're still quite bruised, dear. We can stay home and have a lovely Christmas as well… Home is with family, after all," he told me with a fond smile and a sideways glance.

"I'd like to go," I replied more assertively.

He laughed softly and his smile grew as he nodded and patted my knee. "Alright then, if you say so! I will let Esme know. We'll leave Thursday morning, bright and early."

I was smiling now too, I couldn't help it. It sounded so magical to be out at the lake for Christmas. It was pretty snowy out and with the lake view and all the trees covered in snow, I was excited to go back to the place where I got my second chance at a happy life. I was aware that the Cullen's home was in Ithaca, but that cabin by the lake — their summer house — was my first real home.

* * *

The days flew by…

Suddenly, it was Christmas Eve day and we were in the Suburban and on our way to Blue Mountain Lake.

I was feeling a lot better and the family, though still doting on me, were allowing me more freedom and space to do things on my own. I was able to move around a bit more now and my breathing was almost normal — except, I tired easily. Carlisle said it was normal after injuries like mine and I had to give it time before my lungs would work at their full capacity again. The cold air was refreshing, but it kind of hurt to breathe.

It was not snowing anymore, but it was cold out and there was snow on the ground so the drive was taking a bit longer than I remembered it. I was able to enjoy the scenery this time, instead of being such a tightwad because it had been my first day with a new family.

They still irritated me to no end, but it was different now... They were my irritating family!

Even though I insisted I was not in that much pain, Carlisle gave me a fair dose of painkillers since we would be in a car all day. He made a small bed for me with a bunch of pillows and blankets in the backseat. He situated me so I could still have a seat belt across my lap, but lie down and be comfortable as well. I think he had an ulterior motive — to drug me into submission or slumber…

Alice was being a pest, as usual, and no one seemed surprised when she burst into song the moment we pulled out of the driveway and headed north.

"Tis' the season to be jolly…"

_Was no one going to shut her up? _This had been going on for hours. Song after song, she never stopped. Bella seemed annoyed too, she asked her to take a break a few times, but Alice really only stopped in between songs to decide on what to sing next. Edward had earphones on, so he was sleeping in the seat in front of me and I envied him. I felt like punching the seat to wake him — it wasn't fair!

"All of the other reindeer. REINDEER!" She shouted. She was the only one singing for Christ's sake! "Used to laugh and call him names…"

"I'm about to laugh and call you names, Alice," I warned, "…If you don't shut the hell up soon!" But she didn't even pause.

"Then one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to say…" I threw my napkin from the peanut butter and jam sandwich Esme had made me and it hit Alice in the back of the head — quite the success to accomplish with my left hand. "Hey!" she squealed with a huge, toothy grin as she turned around in her seat. She contemplated throwing it back at me, but I thought I heard Carlisle say her name in warning...

Emmett was sitting at the end of my make-shift bed and he graciously held my feet on his lap. He was such a doll and had been rubbing them for me continuously for hours. If it were not for Alice's merriment, I might have fallen asleep — and then we'd be there already!

"Time to shut 'er down, Runt," Emmett told her.

"It's tradition!" Alice chimed proudly.

"But Rose is trying to sleep."

"Alice, honey," Esme's peaceful voice cooed from up front. I couldn't see her lying down, but I imagined her turning around from the passenger seat to reason with the midget. "Perhaps you could find a quieter activity for the next few hours?"

"But we need Christmas music in the car! It's tra-"

"You can sing more tonight after supper," Esme told her. "Now, turn around and sit on your bum, darling."

Alice heaved a dramatic sigh and flopped back into her seat so I could not see her anymore. She sulked for a while, but I didn't care.

_Aaah… Peace and quiet at last!_ With Alice's pipes on mute and everyone reading, listening to music, playing Nintendo DS, or rubbing my feet… I was able to shut my eyes and rest for the remainder of the trip.

The cabin was even more stunning in the winter. As Emmett helped me walk toward the front porch, I noted that the snow covered every inch of the ground and the top of the lake and except for the foot prints from the others who walked ahead of us; there were no signs of life except for our family. It was gorgeous!

"Careful," Esme fussed over me as Emmett helped me inside by my left arm — my other was still in a sling. Emmett was so good about being my support, but he did tend to walk too fast. I was a bit out of breath by the time we got inside, but mostly it was from the cold. As chilly as it was outside, and in, I still loved the smell of the crisp, mountain air.

"Here, sweetie," Carlisle reached out for me and guided me to the sofa, which he had just revealed by pulling off a sheet. "Have a seat and I will start a fire to warm this place up."

"I'll go start the generator," Edward announced.

"I'll help," Emmett offered, letting go of my hand and smiling at me before he raced out the door behind his brother.

Esme brought me a blanket from the car and tucked it around me neatly before she and the rest of the family went to work at unloading the truck and unveiling the rest of the furniture that had been covered with protective, plastic sheets.

Eventually, the place warmed up and lights came on and the smell of food began to waft through the cabin. Esme was making a roast ham and all the fixings tonight for dinner. Bella was helping her out in the kitchen and Alice and the boys were decorating a huge tree that they had just cut down.

Emmett was particularly proud of it. "I choose this one for you, Rose. Isn't it the best Christmas tree you ever did see?"

"Uh... Yes, it's beautiful," I told him, not being able to resist his dimply, red cheeks — still flushed from the cold wind outside. They had to walk a ways off the trail to find a tree that would okay to cut down. It was really big, almost too big, to come through the door. However, once it was inside, with the stand hammered into the trunk, it stood tall at nearly nine feet! It was a good thing it was a high-ceilinged roof.

It began to look really nice when it was dry and they were wrapping lights and hanging shiny balls on it. I had never decorated a Christmas tree before. No one stopped me when I got up to help. Emmett hovered protectively around me, but I was fine hanging some of the ornaments in my reach and let the others do the higher up stuff. When it was finished, I was a bit tired, but I couldn't help enjoy seeing Alice being lifted up by Carlisle so she could place the singing angel on the very top.

"It's perfect!" Esme sighed, sitting next to me, her apron still on and a tea towel draped over her shoulder that smelled like honey glaze. She cuddled into me and kissed my cheek. "I'm so happy your home, darling." She whispered it, but I blushed as if it had been some kind of secret that they loved me.

"So am I," whispered in return. It earned me another kiss and she told me that dinner would be ready very soon if I wanted to wash up and have a seat at the table. And that is exactly what I did.

The food was delicious and everyone was smiling and laughing and passing around the dishes. Emmett's plate was so full that some spilled over when he dug his fork in for the first bite…

Everyone laughed hysterically at him when he shrugged and ate the food off the table. Edward made fun of him, and then nearly choked on his ham…

We laughed some more. It was most enjoyable family dinner I'd ever been a part of!

* * *

Later that night, after putting out our stockings, we sat in a semi circle around the fire and Carlisle read_ 'The Nutcracker' _and '_Twas the Night Before Christmas'_ to us before it was time for bed.

Esme had bought me a brand new stocking and had hand sewn my name on it in gold so it would match the others. Across the mantel they hung in this order: Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Edward, Rosalie, Bella, Jasper and Alice. Of course, Alice complained that hers was last — and the smallest stocking — but Carlisle appeased her by saying that the best things come in small packages and he proceeded to flip her upside down and tickle her until she screamed, "Mercy!" and he let her go.

"Off to bed now!" Esme sang as Carlisle finished the last reading and put down the book. "Santa won't want to come and leave you presents if you're not sound asleep in your beds." She smiled brightly with excitement.

"O-kay, Ma," Emmett laughed sarcastically as he got up and gave an obvious wink in my direction. I giggled at how readily Alice was up and willing to go to bed for a change. Jasper too, but I knew he was too old to believe in that kind of crap, right? I think he was just excited about presents.

Edward and Bella shared an eye roll as they got up and folded the blanket they had been sharing and set it back down on the sofa.

"Goodnight," Edward told her and he smiled lovingly at her. She blushed and bit her lip.

"G'night," she replied softly, her cheeks as red as apples! Those two were not fooling anyone.

We got into our pajamas and into bed. Esme came around first to kiss us goodnight and then Carlisle. I had become so used to this, that I would quite literally miss it if they didn't make their rounds each night. It was silly that a simple hug or kiss and a kind, "goodnight, I love you," made me feel so safe and secure. I fell asleep feeling warm and loved each night now, in spite of the nightmares that sometimes still haunted my dreams. As bad as the nightmares could be, they didn't shake me up as much anymore — knowing that I was not alone helped considerably.

Poor little Alice was not quite as rational as I was, though, and was still easily scared at night by her dreams. Sadly, she'd never gotten her orange dog back. Most of my things at the house in Rochester were confiscated by the police, though some clothing items I did get back, but when we asked about Alice's orange dog, no one knew where it was. Someone must have taken it, or thrown it out or, something — it was a mystery.

I knew it was not my fault, but I felt terrible that she had to do without her favorite stuffy. She loved that stupid dog and I knew she missed it. She had been a very good sport about not getting it back. She never once blamed me for losing him. I had wanted to make it up to Alice and I hoped I could…

It was late and I had woken up because I had been lying in an awkward position. I shifted myself a bit to get comfortable, and I would have fallen back asleep if it were not for Alice's whimpers. It was not as bad as I had witnessed before, but she was obviously experiencing some very real dreams for her to get worked up enough to toss and turn and practically talk in her sleep like Bella's stupid, annoying habit.

Alice's mumbles were not as peaceful — she never murmured Edward's name in her sleep the way Bella did… No, Alice was seeing something that was very real to her — something we could not understand.

It was hard to ignore her fitful sleep and my guilt mounted until I couldn't take it anymore. I slowly eased myself up and reached for my bag on the floor.

Emmett had gone shopping for me to buy some presents. I had given him all the money I had saved up and some allowance that Esme and Carlisle had given me in spite of my being useless around the house. It was enough to buy each Cullen a small gift. And I thought it might be nice to give Alice hers early…

I pulled out the tissue filled bag and very carefully got up and shimmied over to her bunk bed. I didn't dare climb up it, because I only had one arm still and I might not be able to get down.

I tapped Alice's arm through the railing and she jolted awake.

"Shh!" I hushed her when she stared back at me, wide-eyed and somewhat frightened.

"What's wrong?" she whispered.

"Nothing," I told her quietly, looking down to make sure Bella was still asleep… She was!

I held up the gift bag to Alice and told her to open it. "Hurry up, Alice. I haven't got all day!" I was short with her when she hesitated.

She finally took the bag and in the light of the moon bouncing off the snow and through our window, I watched her pull out a stuffed dog that looked almost identical to her other dog — only this one was newer.

"I know it's not Freddy, but… Maybe you can give this dog a chance?" I hedged. She looked at it, studying the stuffy carefully. I could not read her expression and I feared she might hate the idea of a replacement. "Your dog really helped me sleep when I had no one else, Alice… And I'm sorry I lost him, but-"

"I like him!" Alice peeped back, hugging him to her and pushing the empty bag to the foot of her bed, tissue paper and all. She leaned over the edge of the wooden railing and kissed the top of my head.

"Really?"

"Mmhmm! Thanks, Rosie," she told me, her voice above a whisper with excitement.

"Well… Good," I uttered in relief that it had gone over so well.

She watched me with a perma-grin so I took this time to tell her, "Thank you... for helping to save my life, Alice. I know you were the one who sent your dad and Emmett to me. I am really glad you did or who knows what would have happened and who would have found me…"

"You're welcome," she peeped shyly into the plush head of her new toy as she hugged it tighter.

I tried to think of something more to say to break this awkward mushy silence, but Bella did it for me. "Ed-waarrd," she mumbled in her sleep as she rolled over. Then she squished her face into her pillow.

Alice's eyes lit up and she giggled.

I put my finger to my lips and hushed her. "Go to bed, Alice," I told her, trying not to laugh at Bella too. "Good night."

"Good night," Alice whispered to me, as she cuddled into her blankets again with her dog tucked under her arm. She looked more like herself with that toy cradled next to her — just as I remembered her. I was pretty pleased with myself for fixing this. It was nice that one more thing was back to normal now.

I got back into my bed and settled down for the night too.

* * *

Christmas morning came quickly — as if in the blink of an eye. It was very bright as the sun came up and shined through our bedroom window. I had forgotten that the cabin was not the optimum place for sleeping in.

However, I was happy to get up this morning. Alice was the one who chanced waking me. She jumped from Bella's bed over to mine and she crawled up to me and said, "Wake up. It's Christmas!"

I cracked open my eyes and found her toothy smile beaming down at me and then she kissed my cheek quickly and bounced back up!

"Ah!" I gasped in surprise as she bounded away laughing like a hyena.

She still had her dog tucked under her arm and in the distance I heard her say, "It's my new Freddy. Rosie gave him to me!"

"That was very thoughtful of her," Carlisle replied. "What a lovely gift!"

I smiled proudly to myself, knowing that I had done something right for once.

"Are your sister's getting up?" Esme asked. "The cinnamon buns are almost ready to come out of the oven."

"Cinnamon buns!" Emmett cheered from outside our room. "Woohoo!"

I smiled involuntarily at the sound of his voice. His enthusiasm made me feel enthused about the day. I sat up in bed and stretched my one arm and my legs as I yawned sleepily.

Bella got up first to use the bathroom and then when she came out, it was my turn. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and combed my hair. I contemplated makeup, but none of that mattered to the Cullens and it thrilled me to know I would not be scolded for choosing not to dress up. I was good enough just as I am.

In fact, none of the Cullens were dressed — they all had their pajamas, robes, and slippers on. Jasper had told me last night after dinner that that was how they always spent Christmas morning — in their pajamas. It was tradition to not to get dressed and to eat cinnamon buns as they opened gifts. I was rather excited about it. I had heard wonderful things about Esme's famous sticky buns!

Bella was out of the bedroom when I returned and I went inside to grab my robe too, because it was a bit chilly. I heard the door shut behind me and some heavy feet shuffled on the floor. I knew Emmett had snuck inside.

"Good morning," he said.

"Morning!" I smiled happily as he paused by the closed door.

"Is it okay if I give you my gift now… in private?" he asked me. He seemed a bit apprehensive, but his dimples told me he was more excited than anything else. I nodded eagerly and we both sat down on my bed.

"Here," he told me, putting a tiny black box on my lap. It had a single red ribbon tied neatly around it with a bow on top.

I sighed and touched it gingerly. "Oh, wow!" It looked like jewelry. All I had gotten him was a Nintendo game he had asked for…

"Go on… Open it!" he egged me on.

I was smiling so hard my face hurt and the anticipation was killing me. I fumbled with the ribbon and then I realized I just had to pull the ends to unfasten the bow. It slipped into my lap and I pulled off the lid of the box.

Inside, was a delicate golden chain.

"Oh, Em…" I gasped breathlessly. "It's too much!"

"No. I have you. This is only a symbol of my love in comparison to how much I love you…" He giddily stuck his fingers in to pick up the chain and hold it up in front of me to see that there was a delicate, charm dangling from it.

My fingers reached up to touch it and steady the charm so I could see it better.

It was a tiny carved, gold key.

"When you were away I was not a whole person, Rose," he told me seriously — the mood shifting slightly. "I wasn't sure what was wrong… mom and dad said I was depressed. But it was more than that… I was missing a piece of myself without you near."

"It's beautiful," I whispered, as he helped me to put the necklace on. His fingers were so large, but he deftly hooked the miniscule clasp so that it latched and then he let go of the chain so it fell and hung comfortably around the scoop of my neck.

The key was centered right above my heart on the twenty-inch chain. It was absolutely stunning in its simplicity. The meaning was so much deeper for both of us.

"And when I thought I might have lost you, my heart literally stopped, Rose."

I looked at him with tears in my eyes and my hand over my new present to hold it closer to me.

"I lost the ability to breathe at the thought of losing you," he continued.

"Oh, Em. I-" He held up a hand to stop me.

"Please let me get this out. I'm a fool for words, but I need to tell you this while I still have the courage."

I closed my mouth, my eyes filling with tears, and I nodded for him to go on.

He gulped and took a deep breath. "This key… Well, it is the key to my heart," he said taking my hand that was over my heart. "When you were gone, you took it with you — I was half a man."

The tears slipped from my eyes and ran down my cheeks into my lap.

"My heart belongs to you now, Rose," he finished. "Forever, or as long as you want it — it's yours."

"Oh, Em!" I cried and launched myself into his arms that were open and waiting. "Always! Forever. Yes!"

He was gentle with me, but I didn't care if he held me too tightly this time. Any pain I felt now was the good kind of pain again. I welcomed the tears because they were tears of joy — tears of release… I was finally complete. I was finally home for good now!

"I love it. I love you! Your heart is exactly want I need, Em. It was the piece I've been missing all my life… You make _me_ whole!"

I sobbed joyfully into his robe and relished in the scent of his sweet, spicy man-smell.

I stayed with my face buried in his chest until I melted into a blissful pool of happiness in his lap. He stroked my hair and kissed my face and for a few minutes it was like we were the only ones on the planet — the only ones who existed.

The moment could not last forever, because we had siblings and parents waiting in the other room.

However, we took the time to get in a few last kisses and then he wiped away the tear streaks from my face and I straightened up his robe so it looked a little less groped. Then, when we were presentable again, we made our way out to join the family for sticky buns and more presents.

They must have been waiting for us. No one had started yet, but they were all seated around the fireplace again, Edward playing his guitar lightly as they all softly sang _'Deck the Halls' _to accompany him. It was a scene out of a Normal Rockwell painting.

They stopped singing as we made my way over. Bella touched my necklace and smiled at me kindly as if to congratulate me. I smiled back and hoped that she would get her wish soon too. She made room for me to sit on the side of the sofa, next to Emmett.

"What are we going to sing next?" Alice cheered. No one gave suggestions, but I thought pleasantly of one of my favorite holiday songs. It had been so long since I had sung it. I wasn't sure if I could.

Alice touched my hand knelt down in front of me expectantly. "Please? You can do it," she encouraged.

They were all pretty quiet — not wanting to scare me out of singing, I guess — but there really wasn't anything to be frightened of anymore. I took a few beats to prepare myself and then I went for it.

"Have yourself a merry little Christmas," I sang slowly, melodically. No one laughed, and no one stopped me, so I kept going. "Let your heart be light."

I saw Esme cuddle into Carlisle out of the corner of my eye.

"From now on, our troubles will be out of sight..."

Alice sighed and leaned her face on my leg. This felt right, somehow — I could be a part of this. I was a member of this family now. There was no shame in that.

Bella touched Edward's hand and he began to play for me.

"Have yourself a merry little Christmas…"

**The End**

* * *

_Fluffy as it was, I think this was the most enjoyable chapter to write. I hope you all enjoyed reading it. I will let you all decide where the romance(s) go from here... it's more fun that way! A happy ending with endless possibilities for continuation... _

**_Thank you for reading from beginning to end! _**

_*New drawing of Rose and Emmett posted in my DeviantArt Gallery (link on my profile page) if anyone is interested in taking a gander. _

_Peace Out! ...for now. ;) I might write some outtakes from 'Thorns' from other character POVs. *shrug*  
_


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